In The Shadows
by Flashchimp
Summary: Tea took care of Seto when he was temporarily blinded in an accident and fell in love with him. Afraid of rejection, she convinced Serenity to take her credit, hoping Seto would let her leave. But he fell in love with the girl in the shadows.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

Seto walked out of his office, his brief case in his hand. He glanced at the watch. 12 am. Not good. He wondered if Mokuba had eaten dinner and was asleep or if he was still waiting for his big brother to come home. Seto hoped he was already in bed. He sat in his limo and instructed his driver to take him home. The driver didn't respond to his command.

'What the hell?' He wondered. He got out of the limo and went to the front, only to find the driver sleeping.

"Wake up you lazy man." He growled at the poor man, who woke up in a panic, hearing the voice of his boss.

"I'm sorry master Kaiba. Please forgive me." He begged Seto, hoping the short-tempered teen would not fire him.

"I have no time to deal with you right now. I'll decide your fate tomorrow. Just take me home now." He got back in the limo and leaned back into the comfy seats. His eyes threatened to shut, but something in the back of his mind kept him awake and alert. Suddenly, he felt the limo go zig zag. What was happening? He was suddenly wide-awake as his sixth sense told him something was very wrong. He tried to contact his driver on the intercom but all he heard was snores. The driver had fallen asleep on the wheel. Seto didn't have time to think of another insult because the limo crashed into a concrete wall. Seto's body went flying forward and a sickening sound was heard.

* * *

Mokuba sat at the dinning table, breakfast cereal in front of him. He didn't feel like eating. In fact, he didn't feel like doing anything at all. Seto hadn't returned home from the office last night. Seto never did that. Even if he worked at the office till late, he always came home, but that hadn't been the case last night. Mokuba hadn't seen his brother at all. He had tried contacting him, but the cell phone was probably off. Kaiba Corp receptionist had said that Seto hadn't come to the office yet. Mokuba had checked every place where he thought he could be but no success. What worried Mokuba even more was that no mansion employee had seen the teen billionaire either, last night or this morning. Roland was out right now, trying to locate the billionaire. He had instructed Mokuba to stay home, in case Seto returned and panicked at not finding Mokuba home.

The phone rang, making Mokuba jump. He ran towards it and picked it. It was Roland.

"Roland, what did you find?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"I am afraid it is bad news master Mokuba." Roland's shaking voice came, freezing Mokuba's blood with fear.

* * *

Mokuba was frantically running through the hospital corridors, trying to locate Roland. He spotted him, sitting in the lobby. He came towards Mokuba as soon as he spotted him, and led him into a room. Mokuba gasped at what he saw inside. Seto was lying on the bed, his eyes closed. He was hurt. There were various bandages around his arms and torse, but Mokuba's main concern was the bandage he had was around his eyes. _Around his eyes._ That couldn't be good.

"Who is there?" Seto's rough voice ripped through the silence of the room.

"It's me Seto, Mokuba. What happened to you? Are you okay?" Mokuba ran to his brother's side, sitting beside him on the bed. He was careful not to move the bed too much, fearing it may cause his brother pain.

"It's nothing Mokuba. The stupid driver fell asleep on the wheel and bumped into a wall. I got some cuts on my arms and legs, and bruised a few ribs but thankfully nothing is broken. Everything is fine. Even the idiotic driver survived, though his injuries are a bit more severe than mine. Still, he survived to suffer my wrath, and I'll oblige as soon as I am able and he is conscious."

"Fine?" Mokuba said incredulously. "How could you say that? And what about the bandage on your eyes?"

"I hit my head and… I damaged the nerves around my eyes. So I am temporarily blind. Nothing to worry about. The doctors have performed the surgery already. I just need some rest to fully recover." Seto assured his worrying brother.

"How long will you stay like this?" Though he couldn't see his brother's expression, Seto could sense Mokuba's fear for him. He knew Mokuba was used to seeing him as a strong and healthy individual. In fact, the kid thought him invincible, and seeing him in such a vulnerable and weak state was wreaking havoc on his mind.

"Probably a week in the hospital and then I'll come home. Don't worry kiddo. I'm fine." Seto again tried to assure his brother. He didn't want Mokuba to worry over him. It was his responsibility to worry over Mokuba, not the other way around.

"No you're not. I am going to talk to the doctor." Mokuba left the room to find the doctor, leaving Seto and Roland in the room. He spotted the doctor talking to a nurse.

"Excuse me Dr. I am Mokuba Kaiba, Seto Kaiba's brother. I need to speak with the doctor who treated my brother." He extended his hand for the doctor to shake, who accepted it graciously.

"Ah Mr. Mokuba. I was expecting you. I was one of the surgeons. It's a good thing you are here because I needed to talk to you since your brother refused to listen to me." Mokuba smiled nervously.

"Yeah. He is like that sometimes. So what is it Dr.?"

"As you know, your brother was in an accident. Lucky for him, he didn't get hurt badly thanks to the seat belt he was wearing. But the accident did bruise his body. He hit head pretty hard. Thankfully, there was no brain damage, but the hit damaged some of his nerves used for sight. W have already performed surgery on his eyes. Again, he was lucky to not suffer any lasting damage but he needs rest. You mustn't remove or let him remove the bandages for at least two weeks."

"Ok, I'll try. He doesn't really do what others tell him to do, but I'll try. How is he supposed to get around if he can't see anything?" Mokuba knew Seto wasn't going to use a walking stick.

"You can hire someone to help him around the house. That person will take care of him, help him walk, and do other odd jobs for him." The doctor suggested.

"That's a really good idea. I just hope Seto agrees as well. Thank you doctor." He said and walked back into Seto's room. Roland was sitting on a chair, writing some notes on a diary while seto was talking, probably dictating stuff. Mokuba sighed. Seto never stopped working.

"Roland stop." He told Roland, who looked at him surprised but stopped nonetheless. Mokuba then turned to Seto. "And you. What do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to work but rest. After we leave this place, I will be the one going to Kaiba Corp. I can handle it." Seto's face went pale.

"Then what I'll I do Mokuba? I can't stay home all day. I'll be bored out of my mind." His concern wasn't for Kaiba Corp. He knew Mokuba was capable of handling the current affairs at the company. He had faith in Mokuba. His issue was the free time he would get and what to do with it.

"You are injured. The only thinh on your mind should be getting back to your full health, not work. You need rest so I'm going to hire someone to help you get around the house. I can't have you bumping into stuff and falling of the stairs, breaking your neck." Mokuba told him.

"Hire someone?" Seto chocked. "Oh no you're not. I am not going to spend the whole day with some old hag who'll scold me every waking second." Mokuba laughed.

"Fine. We won't get an old hag. I'll hire some pretty girl. Then you'll be happy." He laughed even more when Seto made an even more horrified face.

"I think I'll stick with the hag. I don't want some bimbo giggling all day and doing nothing but trying to touch me. No way."

"Calm down Seto. I'll post an add in the paper. We'll have every girl in the city. I'll pick the best one, someone who is nice, beautiful, and qualified." Mokuba assured him.

"No mokuba. _I'll_ pick one. I'll conduct the interviews myself." An evil smile appeared on his face. 'And I'll make sure no one leaves without tears falling.'

* * *

Mokuba sighed as another girl ran past him, crying loudly, hands covering her face. That was the last unfortunate one. He frowned and walked towards his brother's room. Countless girls had been in the same situation before and they all came from Seto's room. He had been brought home yesterday and was conducting the interviews today. Just as Mokuba suspected, all the girls in the city and some girls from other towns and cities came for the interview. He sent them into Seto's room, one by one, and they all ended up either crying or storming off in anger. He glanced at the watch. 6:00 pm.

The add was in the morning paper. And it seemed like every girl who read it ran towards the mansion without wasting a single second. At 7:30 am, they were banging at the door, ringing the doorbell. After they had been invited inside the mansion, mokuba was informed of their arrival. The poor kid was shocked to see a hundred girls in their living room. All of them were dressed in scant clothes. He inwardly laughed, realizing they didn't know that Seto couldn't see, so all of their _hard work _was wasted. They were gaping at the beauty and the size of the mansion, some of them probably even day dreaming, imagining themselves living there.

Mokuba was told by Seto to stall the _mob,_ as Seto had called it, until he was ready to see them. Stalling them wasn't much of a problem since they were already busy glaring and yelling at each other. However, Mokuba did have a problem trying to stop some of the girls from ripping each other into half. They were threatened by each other and were acting like rabid animals. It got even worse when it was time to send them in his room. Everyone wanted to be the first one to be blessed with the sight of Seto Kaiba. Two girls started a catfight and had to be _escorted_ out. The rest drew straws to determine the order. It was completely crazy. When the first girl came out crying, Mokuba knew what fate would be fall the rest. The other girls, however, seemed relieved at the fact that they still had a chance.

It was funny how all the girls tried so hard just to get a mere glance from his brother, and he knew his brother would die before acknowledging their presence. He sighed again and entered the room. Seto was sitting in a chair. His head shot up in the direction of the door as Mokuba entered.

"You should have learnt from the other losers and left." Seto began, thinking it was another girl. "Or do you think you are different then them? Even without my eyesight, I can see what a pathetic loser you are. Nonetheless, if you want to get humiliated, then let's start. I don't want to keep you waiting and I don't want to spend a single extra second in the same room as you." Mokuba shook his head disappointed.

"It's me Seto." A relieved look appeared on Seto's face.

"Finally. Is it over Mokuba? Tell me they are all gone." He practically begged Mokuba. Mokuba could see he was tired.

"Yeah. It's over. That was the last one. I can't believe you did this to them Seto." A satisfied smirk appeared on Seto's face.

"Did what Mokuba?" He asked innocently but Mokuba knew better.

"You scared half of them by the look you gave them. And if they didn't run, you insulted them until they could take no more and ran away." Mokuba accused him.

"It's not my fault. That was merely a screening process I used to get rid of the morons. It's not my fault all of them turned out to be morons." Mokuba felt like screaming in frustration.

"Seto. If you had just let me pick one, it would have been over a long time ago and you wouldn't have been this tired."

"It wouldn't have been over easy or soon Mokuba. Besides, I couldn't let those shrewish women hurt you." Mokuba sighed at his brother's concern. He was the one who was injured and helpless, but he was still worrying over Mokuba's health.

"But now we don't have anyone to look after you Seto." He pointed out.

"Nonsense Mokuba. I am not a cripple. I can take care of myself just fine. There's not a girl in the world that can handle me and you know that. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He tried to get up and walk towards his bed but bumped into a table, then the dresser, and would have bumped into a chair if Mokuba hadn't gotten up and guided him towards the bed. If Seto had bothered to spend time in his room, maybe he would have known where the furniture was. But he only came in his room to sleep, and that was for a few hours each night. No wonder he was bumping into stuff left and right.

"You need to rest Seto, so I'll see you later. Okay. Rest." He emphasized on the word 'rest' because he knew Seto wasn't going to get any.

Closing the door behind him, he walked out of the mansion and walked down the street, deep in thought. What was he going to do about Seto? He knew his brother was right when he said that no girl could handle him. No girl could withstand his insults and his horrible attitude. But he couldn't watch over him 24/7. He had to go to school and Kaiba Corp. Leaving Seto alone without supervision would be a big mistake. He feared Seto would break a leg or two trying to go to the bathroom. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't see the person standing in front of him, and so ended up bumping into the person.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't see where I was going." He quickly apologized to the person who happened to be a girl.

"It's okay Mokuba." The girl smiled at him. It was Tea.

"Oh Tea. Hey. How are you doing?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm doing okay. What about you? I heard about your brother. I'm so sorry to hear that. How is he?" Mokuba wasn't very surprised at the concern in her eyes or voice. She was always so nice to him and his brother, even though Seto was always rude to her and her friends.

"He's doing fine, considering its Seto K_aiba_ who got hurt and not Seto." Mokuba said bitterly. Tea put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Mokuba. If it's _Kaiba_ who got hurt, he'll be good in no time. He is stubborn, and he won't let any injury keep him down for long."

"I guess." Mokuba nodded slowly. "But he can't see anything. He had surgery and has bandages covering his eyes. That's what concerns me the most." Tea looked surprised at that piece of information. Of course she didn't know. All everyone knew was that Seto Kaiba had gotten into an accident but had escaped with minor injuries. The news of his surgery and temporary blindness was kept secret. Seto didn't want media to spin a story and declare him a blind person. He didn't want anything that would impact Kaiba Corp. stocks and share values.

"Then why don't you get some nanny to look after him? Not exactly a nanny but someone who will stay with him." Mokuba smiled wryly ather suggestion.

"I tried that already. He scared about 70 girls and made the rest of them run away crying." Tea started laughing and he couldn't help but smile.

"I didn't expect anything less from him. Anyway, what are you going to do now?" Mokuba's smile turned upside down.

"I don't know. Can you help me Tea? Please." Tea stared at his puppydog face and sighed in defeat.

"Okay, let me think about it." She taped her chin a couple of times and then snapped her fingers. "I got it. I know someone who can help your brother." Mokuba's smile dimmed a bit. He had been suggesting that she herself help Seto. He wanted to clarify what he had meant, but then decided to listen to what she had to say.

"Serenity is the perfect person. She was in the same situation as your brother and she made it through. She will help him." Tea seemed very happy at her idea but Mokuba seemed less than enthusiastic.

"Umm Tea, I don't think it's a very good idea."

"Why?"

"Because it's my brother we're talking about. He insults every living being. Serenity might not be able to take the insults. I don't think she can handle my brother. And if Seto finds out that it's Joey's sister who wants to take care of him, he would go berserk." Mokuba didn't want to deal with a crying girl, or worse, her quick-to-anger-and-physical-violence brother.

"I know. But what if he didn't know who was looking after him? He wouldn't treat her the way he usually would." Mokuba's face lit up.

"You're brilliant Tea."

"I am?" She was taken back at his reaction. What exactly made Mokuba think of her as brilliant?

"Yes. It's perfect. He won't know who is the person. Tea, can you please take this job?" Tea blankly stared at Mokuba.

"It's not funny Mokuba."

"It's not a joke. I'm serious. You are the only one who can stand up to him. I have seen you tell him off a couple of times before, and I know you can get him to do whatever you want. He is stubborn but you can be too. You can match him, insult to insult. And I'll be relieved knowing that you're with him. I trust you. Please take this job Tea, please." He pleaded.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I already have a job, and I can't—." She couldn't finish because Mokuba cut her off.

"I'll pay you double, tripple if you want. Just say yes. If not for Seto, then for me. Please Tea." the puppy dogface was added to the request, making it impossible for her to refuse.

"Okay Mokuba." He literally jumped with joy.

"Cool. You can come with me right now and see him." Tea apologetically glanced at him.

"Sorry. I can't come now. I am supposed to meet Yugi and Joey at the park. I'll come later, probably at 7:00pm. Okay." Mokuba didn't care about thetime as long as she came.

"It's perfectly okay. I'll see you then. And thanks tea." she smiled.

"No problem. I'll let the guards know you are coming so they will let you in." He said and after saying their good-byes, they walked their separate ways.

'I hope I didn't make a mistake accepting Mokuba's offer.' Tea thought. Seto couldn't see her so he wouldn't call her cheerleader and annoy her. She could do it. How hard could it be to take care of a mature, 18 year old CEO, who just happened to be the biggest jerk alive? Little did she know, she was in for one hell of a ride on the _ass express._

_..._

* * *

_please review and let me know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"I'll see you guys later. Bye." Tea waved to her friends who smiled and waved back.

"Bye Tea." Yugi said with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah. See ya later." Joey replied and, he and and yugi left, talking amongst themselves. Tea saw them disappear and then proceeded to walk towards Kaiba mansion. The security guard at the main gate let her in after hearing her name, and Mokuba greeted her at the door. He was waiting for her. She apologized for her late arrival but he assured her that it was okay. He then led her to Seto's room.

Seto felt someone enter his room. "Mokuba, is it you?" He asked. He was sitting on his bed, his head resting against the headboard.

"Yup, it's me Seto." He said energetically. Seto frowned but because of the bandage, it was not visible.

"Since when do you wear girls perfume?" He asked dryly. Tea was surprised at his sharp senses.

"I don't Seto." Mokuba said as a matter-of-factly.

"Then which bimbo did you bring with you?" Seto said sourly, crossing his arms over his chest. Tea felt like yelling at him and telling him that she was no bimbo but Mokuba turned to her, begging her to stay quiet.

"That's not a nice thing to say to you caretaker Seto. I picked her myself. She is really good." Mokuba said in the same cheerful tone.

"I told you before Mokuba, I don't need anyone. I can handle myself." Seto stubbornly replied. Now Tea decided to say something.

"No you can't. You probably can't even go to the bathroom without someone's help." His head turned sharply in her direction.

"Who are you?" He asked rudely. Her voice had sounded somewhat familiar.

"Ask me nicely and I may consider answering." She said with the same arrogance.

"Nice? You must be hit in the head to ask that of me. What is your name girl?" He scoffed and asked. His voice was commanding, and it was annoying Tea to no end.

"I said, ask me nicely. Did you lose your hearing too?" She replied.

"At least I still have my brain, unlike you." His triumphant smirk made Tea want to choke him, but she restrained herself. She was here to take care of him, not injure him further.

"Since you guys are getting along so well," Mokuba said, slowly backing away, "I'll leave you two alone. Have fun." He ran out, without turning back.

"Mokuba, where are you going? Don't leave me with this idiot." Seto yelled in panic but Mokuba was already gone.

"Why are you screaming? I should be the one crying cause I'm all alone with an arrogant maniac." She said.

"Maniac? Where are you from?" How could she call him a maniac? He was an arrogant jerk, he admitted, but not a maniac. She had to know that. Did she even know what the definition of maniac was?

"I am from Domino, genius." She said. His eyes widened.

"Then you must know me. Still, you wish to make your life a living hell?" He asked in a somewhat warning tone.

"As long as I make yours hell, I am happy." She cheekily replied.

"You must be very happy then, because our have achieved your goal just by stepping in this room."

"I know. Am I good or what?" She said with a small laugh. "Ok enough chit chat. We have a long life ahead of us for that-." But she was cut off by Seto.

"Speak for yourself. If I have to spend another minute with you, I'll commit suicide." He was acting like a child. Tea sighed.

"Fine with me. One less jerk in the world. Since you will be gone shortly, let me make the last few hours of your life comfortable." His mouth hung wide open.

"I'm not letting you touch me girl." He said, his body tensing slightly as if preparing for an attack. He was acting like a scared little child.

"What is your problem? I only want to help." She was losing her patience.

"I told you, I don't need help from someone as pathetic as you." Tea slumped in a chair. He was frustrating and had tired her already. How was she supposed to deal with him for days without succumbing to the temptation of hitting him?

"He may have lost his eyes but his tongue works just fine." She thought sourly.

"It works to ward off against morons like you." Tea eyes went wide.

"Did I just say that out loud?" That was the only explanation. He couldn't hear her thoughts.

"You don't know when you're thinking or speaking. How do you expect to take care of me?" He mocked. His smirk only made Tea's mood worst.

"Just for that, I'm not leaving." She folded her arms over her chest, much like him and sank further into her chair.

"It's not like you were going to leave before." He pointed out.

"Whatever." She wasn't going to let him frustrate her into leaving. She was doing this for Mokuba.

"Why are you still here? I don't need you so just leave." He spoke after a lengthy silence. He didn't want her in his room, watching him. He didn't even know who she was.

"I'm not leaving. You say you can take care of yourself. Well, I'm going to call your bluff." She declared.

"It's not a bluff, girl." She was as annoying as Wheeler or Gardner.

"Then prove it. I'll stay right here and watch you." She knew he was uncomfortable with her therein his personal space, watching him.

"I don't have to prove it to you. There is some other reason you're not leaving." He was no fool. There had to be another explanation. Perhaps Mokuba had promised her something big if she stuck with him. He reminded himself to ask the kid how much was he paying her.

"You're right. I want to see you make a fool of yourself." She said with glee. "I don't want to miss the live episode of 'misadventures of Seto Kaiba.' And for all the special fans, an added bonus, 'when a bathroom trip goes horribly wrong." She finished dramatically and doubled over with laughter, much to Seto's distaste.

"Laugh all you want. That is never going to happen." He assured her confidently. Tea only laughed more, making him angrier.

"We'll see when you have to go to the bathroom. You better hope you know where the toilet paper is, or where the toilet is." She added between giggles.

"We'll see girl."

They sat in silence, no sound except Tea snickering once in a while. She may be having fun but Seto was having trouble controlling his natural urges to urinate. He knew if he tried to go by himself, he would surely stumble and bump into at least one thing, and that's what she was waiting for. But if he stayed on the bed any longer, he would be in a much more embarrassing situation. What should he do? His stubborn mind told him to stay but his body screamed at him to go. Having been stuck at the last thread of control, he decided to listen to his body and got up. He could feel her amused eyes on him. Right now he didn't care. He just hoped he would find the bathroom and fast. He really should have spent more time in his room then his office.

Tea watched him walk cautiously, hand stretched for any object. But because of his height, he couldn't touch smaller objects, like the table he was about to bump into, or the stool that awaited his long legs. He grunted as he hit the table. Tea shot up to help him. He may be a jerk but she couldn't just helplessly see him get hurt, not when she could do something about it. She held his arm and guided him towards the bathroom. He didn't protest. Tea figured he had to go badly and resisted the urge to laugh. After taking him to stand besides the toilet, she walked out and closed the door behind her with a loud click so he would know she was out and he had his privacy. Only when she heard the tap close and the door opened did she move again to assist him.

Seto came out of the washroom and felt her soft, small hands hold him again. She was helping him, after all he had said to her. Surprising. She could have taken advantage of his situation and could have embarassed him, but she had been courteous and nice.

She led him to his bed and he sat. He felt her walk towards the nightstand and grab a bowl of soup a maid had brought just before Mokuba had entered with her. The bed shifted on his left, indicating that she was sitting now.

"Open your mouth now. I have the soup. It is still warm so you should eat it now." She informed him.

"I can eat myself. I am not a child." He was not going to let her feed him. She thought she had power over him just because she had helped him once, but she was dead wrong.

"Could have fooled me. You don't know where your bathroom is or when to accept help. How can I expect you to know where your mouth is?" She said cheekily and he supressed a growl of frustration.

"Find your brain first and then ta-." But he couldn't finish his sentence. She had inserted the spoon in his mouth. He swallowed it and opened his mouth to yell at her, but in came another spoon. This time, he turned his head away and spoke. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm feeding you. Now be a good boy and open your mouth. Here comes the plane." She was treating him like a 2 year old.

"You're ridiculous. Do you know tha-?" Another spoon. He decided to keep his mouth shut and not give her a chance at all.

"Come on. The plane is ready to land. Zoom zoom." She said. No response from him. She tried again but no avail. He was smart and wasn't going to fall for her old tricks. She would have to do something new. Her eyes flashed with mischief as an idea came to her. She sighed loudly so he could hear her.

"I wish Yugi Motou was in this situation. Then I could have had so much fun." Just as she expected, he turned his head to face her. If he didn't have bandages on his eyes, she would have seen them flash dangerously at her.

"Yugi? What would that midget be good for?"

"He is so cool. He is the Duel Monsters champion and he is so cute. On op of that, he is super nice, not like you at all." She inserted the spoon in his mouth. He was so busy being angry that he didn't notice or protest.

"Of course he isn't like me and he can never be either. He is a midget." Tea felt like slapping him for insulting her friend but didn't. She wanted to torture him more.

"And that hunk Joey. He is so hot." Tea said with a dramatic squeal, much to Seto's distaste.

"Wheeler is nothing more then a sniveling dog." Seto grumbled. He couldn't believe the nerve of this girl, claiming that those losers were better than him.

"He has such a cool body. I bet he works out every day. He must have awesome abs." Tea continued shoving food down Seto's throat while he grumbled.

"He is a weakling compared to me. I can beat him with my eyes closed." Seto boasted. Tea smirked as she placed the empty bowl on the side table.

"Sure. But you can't stop me from feeding you." He suddenly became very still and slowly turned his head in her direction.

"What?" He asked, unsure of what had just happened. Did she manage to trick _the_ Seto Kaiba?

"While you were busy getting mad, I fed you the whole bowl. See, I was right when I called you a child. I distracted you so easily and fed you." She said proudly. Seto didn't say anything. He only grumbled, angry at himself for being fooled by such a simple trick. But she was a clever girl, he gave her credit for that. No one ever managed to fool him, but somehow she had. And she knew exactly how to tick him off. But how? Who was she?

...

* * *

please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: "I do not own yugioh."

"Talk"

'Thought'

* * *

...

Seto's body stiffened when he heard the door to his open and someone step inside, but relaxed when her perfume reached his nostrils. Tea put her school bag down on the table. She had come there straight from school. Mokuba had a soccer game after school so he wouldn't be home for some time. He had asked Tea to come early and stay with Seto.

"Hey, did you miss me?" Tea asked him teasingly

"How could I? You haunted my nightmares." He replied with a smirking face.

"Aww, you missed me." She said and could just imagine him rolling his eyes behind that bandage.

"If you mean your racket, yes." But the truth was that he had missed her, so very much. He kept thinking about, trying to figure out who she was. Even though he had no success in identifying her, but that didn't stop him from thinking about her. He was glad she was with him now. It would give him the opportunity to talk to her and perhaps figure out her identity.

"Whatever." She said. "I brought your homework from the teachers."

"Are you in my school, in my class?" He inquired sharply, and Tea sighed. He just wouldn't give up.

"No, I'm not in your school." She lied.

"Then how did you get it from my teachers?" He was trying to trap her.

"Umm, I… I got it from a kid in your class. Mokuba told me to talk to him." She hoped he wouldn't dig deeper. She didn't want to make up more lies.

"Which kid?" Mokuba knew some kid in his class. How?

Umm, it was… Yugi, yeah Yugi. It was him." She said with a smirk. The distasteful look on his face told her he wasn't pleased.

"He is so cute. I feel so lucky. I talked to him you know. It was my dream to talk to the game king." She squealed in fake excitement, relishing at his expression.

"Hn." He only grunted in response. She stopped herself from giggling.

"Okay, let's do our homework. I do mine and you do yours. Simple." She put some papers in front of him and sat beside him on the bed to work.

"How the hell am I supposed to write if I can't see anything?" He asked in agitation. Of course. She sighed.

"Then what should I do?" A sly smile appeared on his face, warning Tea that she wasn't going to like what was about to come out of his mouth.

"You will do my homework girl. And before you say no, remember, you are here to help me." She restrained herself from smacking the smirk off his face.

"Okay. But I will tell you the question and you give me the answer."

"Fair enough. In fact, I think I'll help you with yours too." He offered and Tea panicked.

"No, no. I can do it. It's easy. Don't worry about mine. Let's just finish yours." Her and his homework was the same since they were in the same classes. She had just told him she didn't go to his school. She couldn't blow her lie so soon. She didn't want him to know her identity. He would never forgive her.

* * *

"Finally we're done. I was so tired of writing." Tea stretched and released a deep breath.

"Great. Because I'm hungry. Do you know how to cook?" He asked rudely.

"Yeah. I do. But where are your maids?"

"They are probably gossiping in a corner somewhere." He answered with a frown.

"So I guess I have to make something for you then. And I'll eat some too." She offered, getting off the bed.

"You didn't eat before?" He looked slightly surprised.

"No, I came here directly from school. Couldn't leave a baby like you alone for second. Who knows what you'll do." She said in a teasing tone. He didn't say anything mean to her like she expected.

"You shouldn't have come here without eating something. You should have eaten something first." He said in a low voice. She stared at him, shocked. Did he actually care about another living thing other than himself and his brother?

"Are you worried?" It slipped out before she could stop herself. She blamed shock for slowing down her brain.

"Of course I am." He replied, turning his head in her general direction. "If you don't eat properly, you'll get sick and… then who will do all my work?" The urge to hit him was stronger than ever. But it was her fault. She was wrong to think he cared. He was a jerk.

"Ass." She muttered. "Let's go downstairs. A little exercise would be good for you. You are getting fat lying down here all day." He growled with anger.

"Fat? Do I look fat to you?" He spat. He couldn't believe her. The nerve of that girl.

"Yup. You look fat and lazy. You should be more like Joey wheeler. He is so fit and muscular." She would torture him mentally if she couldn't hit him physically.

"That dog is fat, not me. I can beat him up with my eyes closed." Tea decided not to say anything more. He could do it, and she had seen it. Besides, she didn't want him too riled up, and any mention of Joey did exactly that.

"Let's go already. Get up." He got up and she put a hand on his shoulder to guide him. She gasped when he wrapped his arm around her waist for support. His arm has a strong grip, but it was so comfortable. He leaned against her, there bodies touching each other. She seemed to have trouble breathing normally. He was so close. He was _too_ close.

"Okay, I'm ready, let's go." He said as he let her guide him out of the room and down the stairs. Normally, he would never let anyone help him, not even Mokuba. But he let her. Not just because he wanted to touch her and wanted to inhale her sweet scent, but because for some unfathomable reason, he felt like he could trust her. There was a sense of familiarity about her, about the interactions they had, and that bugged him because he still didn't know who she was yet.

As they walked down the stairs, he paid attention to her features. She came up to his shoulders. She had a small waist, and she smelled really good. Her hair smelled like strawberries. He could tell she worked out. He could feel her tight stomach as his arm was around her, _and_ she was taking him down on her own. He had put all of his weight on her on purpose, and she was still walking quite comfortably.

"Okay. We're here. Just sit on the couch and I'll get something to eat." She said as she brought him right next to a comfortable counh, and straightened her back. He wasn't fat but he was no feather light either.

"Make something." He ordered and she stared at him.

"What do you mean _make_ something?" Couldn't she just get something already made, like junk food, or left overs? It would be so much easier.

"Cook something. I want to see how you cook. I don't want to eat some junk food. Now hurry up. I'm dying of hunger." He commanded.

"Well good, cause I was about to kill you anyways. Now I'll just wait and let God do his wonders." She seethed. The nerve of this guy, ordering her around like he owned her.

"I'm not kidding. Just go already." He ordered again. She considered telling him off, but then sighed and walked towards the kitchen. She was pretty hungry herself, and quite honestly, she wasn't in the mood for left overs. She would make food for her and not him. He would get whatever was in his fridge. As she took out the ingredients, she felt guilty about her initial decision to not let him eat her food. Technically, it would be his food because everything, including the kitchen appliances, was his. Fine. She would give him some because she was using his kitchen and his ingredients.

She checked the cabinets and found what she was looking for. She quickly started to work. She had been working for a while and was almost done when she felt someone stand behind her. She quickly turned around and bumped into Seto's chest.

"Ow." She said as she rubbed her nose. "How did you get here without hitting something or falling?" She asked him incredulously.

"I just happen to know where my furniture is." He said snobbishly. "Besides, I had no trouble finding the kitchen or finding you since your smell was guiding me." He smirked as he answered.

"Jerk." She muttered loud enough for him to hear. His smirk widened.

"You're done?" He asked impatiently.

"Almost."

"What are you making anyway?" He asked suspiciously.

"Why do you care what goes in your mouth as long as it tastes good?"

"I want to know what you're planning to use to poison me." He said, crossing his arms. Oh how she wished she could do that. Well, maybe not poison, but something to give him an upset stomach or diarrhea.

"In that case, I'm making my favorite and my specialty, lasagna." She replied.

"Hmm. Smells good enough and ready to eat." He extended his hand to touch it. Big mistake. The tray was still hot and he couldn't see what he was going for. His hand touched the hot baking tray and he yelped in pain, withdrawing it quickly.

"Oh my God. Are you okay?" She panicked and held his hand in her small ones, gently rubbing it. "Stupid. Why the hell did you touch a hot tray?" She asked angrily, but he could detect the concern in her voice.

"I didn't know the tray was _hot_. If I knew, I would never have touched it. I can't see. It's your fault. You should have told me. You should…" He shot back but he left the sentence hanging there. He could feel her blow gently on his fingers, holding his hand close to her mouth. It formed goose bumps on his skin. Her breath tickled his skin, taking away the pain with each gentle and cool blow and, bringing a weird feeling back.

"Is it better now?" She asked him slowly, words coming out of her mouth with such worry, it tingled his icy heart.

"I am not sure." He said thoughtfully. "The burn is on this hand." He held up his other hand and smirked. She stared at him, not believing what he said.

"Seto." She said annoyed, but then laughed and smacked him lightly in the chest. He chuckled as well. Then he slowly said.

"When will you be done?" She looked at him surprised.

"I just need a couple of minutes. Why? You're missing me?" A smirk appeared on her face as she said slyly. A small blush appeared on his cheeks but he quickly covered it with a frown.

"You wish. I am sick of sitting there with no one to argue with or insult." Now she frowned.

"Just go. I'll be with you soon. In fact, wait for me. I'll take you with me so you don't break a leg or something." She snickered.

"Hn. I don't need your help. I managed here on my own and can make it back as well." He said indignantly and walked towards the living room. Tea smiled and went back to her lasagna. She put it in the oven again to finish cooking, and stood up, ready to go to Seto. Surprisingly he had made it back to the couch and was currently frowning, looking bored.

"Hey, I'm back." She said and slumped on the couch beside him.

"Is it finished?"

"No, still needs some more time. It will be ready soon. Let's watch TV as we wait." She clicked the remote and turned to a channel.

"What's on?" He asked.

"Some kind of a drama, I think. I'll explain what's happening. There's a guy and a girl in the room and they are talking. The girl is pissed at him for some reason. The guy is trying to talk to her." Seto listened to the TV. The girl had a high-pitched voice and the guy had a deep, throaty voice.

(High pitch) "_No Carl. I can never be with you ever again. I don't have the same feelings for you anymore."_

(Deep) "**Liar. I know you still love me. Your heart still beats for me**."

"_No. I thought I loved you, but that was a lie. I was lying to you and myself. I just can't do it anymore_."

"**So it was all a lie? The time we spent together, all the moments we shared, was it all a lie?" **

"_Yes. Now please leave me." She started crying. "I can't take it anymore_."

"**I can't take it anymore either. You're hurting yourself and me. Out love wasn't a lie, but your denial is. And I'm going to prove it**." There was a gasp from the girl and then silence.

"What's happening?" He asked her again.

"Umm, he is cornering her. Now he's placing his arms around her waist and bringing her close. He's kissing her. She is starting to kiss him back. Now he is starting to take her clothes off and _now_ I'm changing the channel." Seto laughed.

"What's the problem? Is sex too adult for you?" He slyly asked.

"You're saying as if you do it every other day. I can't believe you would want see such shows." She said.

"I'm not the one who switched to the channel. And I can have it every day if I want." He claimed smugly.

"Whatever." She replied. She knew it was possible. Girls, not just in their high school, but even older and younger ones found him attractive, and he probably could get the willing ones to agree to share his bed.

"You don't believe me? You don't believe that girls just die for my glance?"

"I don't care." He chuckled at her response.

"Did you ever have sex before?" He asked after a small pause. Tea blushed at his bold question. Good thing he couldn't see.

"What kind of question is that?" She stuttered.

"Okay, perhaps I didn't word it properly." He said with a smirk. "Are you a virgin?"

"Why… why do you care?" She managed to ask and keep her voice from stuttering this time.

"I don't. I'm just curious. Well did you have sex? Who was the unlucky man?" He pressed again. Tea's eyes narrowed at his words.

"For your information, I didn't. I am still a virgin, and whoever I pick won't be unlucky. He would be the luckiest man on earth." She said hotly. He didn't argue. He inexplicably felt relieved that someone else hadn't already taken her.

"Why didn't you?" He asked her, startling her again. She wondered why was he so interested.

"I never found the right guy." She admitted after a small pause. "I have known many guys in my life, many nice guys. But never him. You know, you always have someone in your mind, the perfect person. You always try to find that person. Many find their dream guy or girl and many only find it in their imagination. I still have him in my imagination, and I can only hope I'll find him soon." She took a deep breath, kind of like a sigh as she finished.

"Now it's your turn mister." She said. "Did you have sex?" She hoped he would be just as uncomfortable as her with this topic. After all, he was notoriously private.

"No." He replied without missing a beat.

"Why didn't you, since every girl dreams of sleeping with you?" She asked, referring to his earlier claim about getting any girl he wanted.

"Do you?" He, in turn, questioned her. She hadn't expect him to say that.

"Why are you asking me?" She said, becoming nervous again. Dammit, he was the one who was supposed to be squirming now.

"You are a girl too." He pointed out plainly.

"… No." She lied. Ever since she had taken this job a few days ago, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She wanted to come to him and spend as much time with him as she could. She had always been curious about him, and had always wanted to get to know him better, and now she was. It had become a guilty pleasure to spend time with him and bicker with him, and see him like no one else had.

"Hmm." He said in an emotionless tone, even though he could feel his heart flip at her response. "Why?" Another question she wasn't prepared for.

"I just told you. I'm saving myself for that special someone. A lot of girls may think of sex with you as the best thing that can happen to them. But I don't. I can't be with you unless I love you. If I trust you totally and know you won't hurt me, then I will. Otherwise, no." She spoke the truth.

"That's my answer to your question. I don't need someone who is after my looks and money. I want someone who is true to me, who really needs _me_ and not my status, who can truly love me for who I am, not _what_ I am. Someone like… you." She was shocked to hear him say that. He wanted someone like her? Well, right now he did, but once he found out who she really was, he would hate her. This saddened her and all of her joy at hearing his confession disappeared into thin air.

"I'm… I'm going to go check the lasagna. It thinks it's done." She didn't wait for him to answer as she practically ran out of the room. Once in the kitchen, she let her thoughts wander as she got the lasagna out.

'He doesn't like me. He can never. I am Tea Gardner, one of the people he hates in the world. I have to get all these feelings out of my head. This is impossible. This will never happen. I can't get my hopes up. I can't let him get close to me. He will break my heart once he opens his bandages. I would have to control my heart.' She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of all the thoughts. Then she put a smile on her face and walked back into the room. He was sitting in the same position she had left him in.

"Here. Now it's ready." She put a plate in front of him and started eating. He, however, didn't.

"Aren't you going to feed me?" He asked her, acting like a child.

"No. You made it into the kitchen and all the way back by yourself. This should be piece of cake for you." She said.

"You mean a piece of lasagna." He said as he started eating. She smiled at his little joke and resumed eating.

They ate in silence, trying to just enjoy the meal.

"Ah, that was good." Tea said as she put her empty plate aside.

"Better then the meal my maids usually make." He said and Tea figured that was the best compliment she was going to get from him.

"Give me your plate. I'll put it back in the kitchen." He gave it to her and she went into the kitchen. She was about to wash them when she heard a loud banging sound followed by a grunt. She ran towards the living room and found Seto on the ground next to a chair.

"What happened?" She went to him and sat besides him on the floor.

"What does it look like? I bumped into the chair." He gruffly said.

"How? You were sitting when I left you. Why did you get up?"

"I wanted to get some thing."

"You could have asked me. Now tell me, where does it hurt? On your knee?" She asked him gently and touched his knee.

"No, it's my elbow." He said and regretted it as soon as she removed her hand from his knee. But he calmed when she grabbed his elbow.

"Here?" She lifted his sleeve and asked him, touching his wound. He nodded and she gently massaged it. Her fingers were so soft, leaving feathery light touches on his skin. He wasn't hurt. It was just a scratch, perhaps not even that. The area was red and hurt, but her fingers were doing magic on his skin, taking his mind off the pain. Suddenly, he heard her giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asked frowning. Was she laughing at him?

"Oh nothing. I just remembered something." She managed between giggles.

"What?" He asked impatiently. He still thought she was laughing at him.

"When I was a kid and got hurt, my mom would massage it. Then she would kiss it and ask me if it was better. She always said kissing it made it better."

"What's so funny in that?" He grumbled.

"My dad would always scratch himself so mom would have to kiss it. It was always so funny when mom would yell at him for being so careless, but then she would laugh at his little attempts and kiss him." She finished and closed her eyes trying to remember the good times.

"You learnt a lot from your parents, didn't you?" He asked, confusing her.

"Yeah." She answered still confused as to what he meant by it.

"Well, aren't you going to make my arm all better?" He asked as innocently as he could, and she couldn't help but giggle again.

"Okay." She brought his arm closer to her face. He could feel her breath on his skin. He felt like he was in heaven when her silky lips enclosed on his flesh. But it was over before he could truly feel it.

"All better?" She asked him and smiled. He just smiled back but then his smile turned into a smirk.

"I have another wound, right here." He pointed to his lips. "I think you should make it all better too." She blushed crimson. Kissing him on the arm had her on cloud nine but on the lips? She admitted that she had imagined about kissing him before. But now that she had the chance, should she take it? She was still deciding when the door opened and Mokuba came inside.

"Hey Seto. T-, you're still here? I thought you would be long gone by now." He had almost said her name.

"What time is it?" She glanced at the clock and gasped. 9:00pm. She had been here for that long. While doing twice the homework, making food, watching TV and talking to him, she totally lost track of time.

"Shit. I have to go home." She said panicking and quickly led Seto to the couch. Then she hurriedly began collecting her stuff.

"You made lasagna. Cool. Can I have some?" Mokuba asked eyeing the leftovers.

"Sure." Mokuba said thanks and ran into the kitchen. Tea was about to leave when Seto said again.

"I am still waiting." He said, reminding Tea of his earlier demand. She blushed but continued gathering her stuff.

"You're not leaving this soon, not while I'm still hurt." He pointed to his lip. She thought for a moment and walked towards him. Seto could feel her approaching and his heart raced with excitement. She stopped in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She lowered her face and moved dangerously close to his lips. His breath quickened. She stayed in the position for a few seconds but then quickly moved away, smiling. She could see his displeasure, but she quickly said goodbye and walked towards the door.

Seto frowned. He was so close, so close to feeling her lips against his, to feel that weird sensation run through his body again. But not close enough. She had tortured him and then left him. If only he could see, if only he knew she was going to do this, he would have grabbed her and kissed her for as long as he wanted to. Damn it all. He was still deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear her approach him and stand before him again.

She was disappointed just like him, and she realized she couldn't leave without kissing him. She knew she would never get a chance to do it again. And if she didn't take this one, she would regret it all her life.

Seto felt someone bend before him and gently brush their against his. Her scent intoxicated him, telling him it was she. The kiss lasted only a second and just when he realized it was her, she moved away. He suppressed a moan of displeasure at the loss of touch, but she was walking away. He heard the door close and sunk back into he couch. It was a blissful kiss and brought a smile to his face. He had gotten his wish, well, maybe not exactly what he wished for, but close enough. He wanted to taste her, feel her lips crushed against his, and her body grinding against his. All he got was a gently brush of lips. It was enough to satisfy his hunger for now, but it ignited a new fire in him. A fire only she could put out with her lips.

...

* * *

please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"Come on Tea, you're leaving us again?" Joey whined.

"Yeah. Where is it that you work?" Tristen asked suspiciously.

"Umm, I told you guys already. I baby-sit a kid." She replied. It wasn't a complete lie. Seto acted like a kid.

"Give her a break guys. She is working hard. The least we can do is support her." Good old Yugi bailed her out. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks so much Yugi. I knew you would understand." He smiled back warmly.

"But Tea, we don't get to spend anytime with you. There is no one to beat Joey anymore." Tristen said smirking.

"What?" Joey growled. "Maybe you need to get reacquainted with my friend Mr. Knuckles here. Then you would remember that she usually beat you."

"Only once." Tristen defended. "But you got beaten everyday."

"It's not my fault. DDR is just not my thing." Joey said sheepishly.

"But you still want to beat her at it." Yugi said smiling, and Joey smiled back.

"I am sorry we don't get to spend a lot of time together. But I promise you, we will soon. I'll see if I can get a day off." Tea said.

"No problem Tea." Yugi said. She waved at them and walked towards Kaiba mansion.

She hadn't told them where she worked or whom she worked for. She knew they would go ballistic, especially Joey, and then they would tell her to quit. But she didn't want to. In fact, she wanted to spend as much time with Seto as she could. She knew she would never get a chance to be this close to him ever again, and she wanted to take advantage of the current situation as much as she could. She wanted to enjoy the time they spent together and not worry about the future when he would find out it was she and he would probably have her killed. Ok, so maybe that was an exaggeration, but she knew there would be hell to pay once Seto found out her identity.

* * *

Seto impatiently waited for Tea to come. Mokuba had left already to play with his friends. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before. Mokuba was a social person and had many friends. Every time he went, Seto would just work in his office. But this time it was different. He felt lonely. He felt the need to talk to someone, being more specific, talk to the girl who had been taking care of him.

She had ruled his mind ever since she had started to take care of him. Day and night, he couldn't get her out of his head. And after that brush of lips, he had been like a wounded animal. She had tortured him on purpose with that feathery light touch. She had awakened something deep inside of him, feelings of desire that he had never felt before, just by a single touch. He wanted more, more and more. He had never been denied what he wanted and he wouldn't be denied this time either. He would have his full of her, whether she wanted it or not. And something told him she wanted him as well.

The sound of approaching footsteps shook him out of his thoughts and he sat alert. Her perfume reached him sooner then she did so he relaxed.

"You're late." He said plainly.

"I was with my friends." She said sitting on the couch beside him.

"Which friends?" He asked suspiciously. Could she have a boyfriend?

"Why are you so interested?" Instead of answering him, she asked him a question.

"I am not." He defended himself. Tea smirked.

"I haven't told them where I work and who I work for. So it was hard lying to them."

"Why are you lying to them?" He asked.

"Because if I tell them, they will come marching in here and-."

"Desperately try to get my attention." He finished smirking. She frowned. "I should have known. Every one wants a piece of me these days."

'Yeah. They want a piece of you too. In fact, if they could, they would tear you apart and take many pieces to kick and punch.' She thought frowning.

"Yeah. That's why I didn't tell them." She finished sighing. He smirked arrogantly.

"Where is Mokuba?" She asked looking around the room.

"He is at his friends house." He answered.

"Oh."

"That gives us plenty of time." He said turning towards her. She suddenly gulped, not liking the expression on his face.

"Time for what?" She managed to say.

"To give me a bath of course. What did you think?" He replied smugly, resisting the urge to laugh. He sensed from her voice that she had been scared for a second.

"I… nothing."

"I know what you were thinking. You can't resist me can you? But I can't believe you thought of that. For how long have you been fantasizing about me?" He teased.

"Since never. I don't like you that way. And I would never." She said crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"Yeah right. I may be blind, but I'm not stupid."

"Could have fooled me."

"Whatever. So what do you say? Are you ready for a bath?" He asked seductively.

"You tell me. You're the one who is getting it." Tea pointed out.

"I'm ready if you are."

"Why do I have to be ready? I'll just call the maids and they'll love to give you one." She said with a smirk.

"But I don't want them to. I want you." He said coming close to her body. She gasped.

"But I… I…." She didn't know what to say. A dirty part of her wanted to, but the other shy part of her didn't.

"You work for me, and as your boss, I order you to give ma a bath." He finished with a commanding voice.

"I guess I have no choice." She said sighing dramatically, knowing fully well she had given in too easily. He smirked and they walked towards his bathroom.

* * *

"Wow, it's so big." Tea gasped once they entered the bathroom. It had a Jacuzzi in the middle.

"What did you expect? It's Seto Kaiba's bathroom." He said arrogantly. Usually she would have said something but at that moment, she was too amazed.

"I wish I had one in my bathroom. That would be so cool." She said, dreamily staring at the jacuzzi.

"You can take a bath in this one if you want…. with me right now." He offered and she punched him in the chest lightly.

"Shut up and change your clothes."

"You mean take them off."

"What? You are not going to be completely…. naked are you?" She asked him, her eyes wide with horror.

"Of course. Do you take a bath with your clothes on?" He replied smugly as he started to remove his shirt.

"No, but…. Can't you wear your swimming trunks or something?" She almost begged.

"What's wrong? Isn't this what you want? To see me naked in all my glory? Or are you afraid you might lose all control?" He asked smugly but in a sexy voice.

"You wish. I don't want to get nightmares, that's all." She said trying hard to keep her voice normal.

"Right." He said not believing her.

"I'll bring your trunks here and leave. When I come back, you better be in them." She said strictly and then brought them to him. She placed them in his hand and left. After 5 minutes, she entered the bathroom again. Thankfully, he was wearing his trunks, just as she had instructed him to. She smiled. God boy.

She went to the Jacuzzi and made sure the water was perfect. Then she held his arm and lowered him in it. He groaned in satisfaction when the water came in contact with his skin. After he was seated, she moved back, letting him enjoy it for a while. Then she grabbed the shampoo and poured it to shampoo his hair. She slowly massaged his skull, and played with his hair. He didn't once protest.

After that, came the hard part. She grabbed the sponge and slowly rubbed it over his back. Her one hand was on his shoulder and by that, he could tell she was tense. She cleaned his back and shoulders and came forward. Now she was nervous. His perfect body was in front of her, just like she had imagined many times. But now, she didn't have the courage to touch it. She wanted to touch it but more then that, she wanted to get away from it.

He grunted impatiently, signaling her to continue. She took a deep breath and gently touched his chest. After applying the soap, she rubbed it with her slender hands. Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own, moving up and down his well-built body. Her fingers moved over his chest and massaged the tense muscles, then moved lower to rest on his abs. She had always wanted to touch him, the great ice-cube, and to feel his skin under her fingers. And now she was. This was a dream come true. Her eyes were glazed with desire and she was glad he couldn't see her like this.

Seto could feel her hands playing with his body, exciting his every sense. The feelings of desire were coming back to him, stronger then ever. He could tell she was lost in the feel as well, giving him the perfect opportunity to quench his thirst. Before she could move away, his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her into the tub, into his lap. She gasped loudly, but he didn't care. He could feel her breath on his lips. He quickly planted his lips on her in a fiery kiss. At first, she tried to move away, but he tightened his hold on her body and increased the force of the kiss. Finally she gave in to his attempts and kissed him back as passionately as he was.

He sucked on her lips begging for the entrance to her sweetness. She quickly opened her mouth and his tongue came rushing in probing her insides. Her own tongue joined his in a duel for dominance. He won, of course. She gave up and let him have his way. He explored her mouth and groaned low in his throat in approval of what he got. His hands traveled up her back and then disappeared under her shirt. Her hands were already on his chest, moving up and down, trying to please him. When his hands played with the clasp of her bra, she gasped and pulled away.

She looked around surprised. What the hell hsd just happened there? Why was she in the tub with Kaiba? Why was she on top of him, all wet, with his hand inside her shirt? Her lips felt swollen, indicating that she had been kissing for a long time. His lips were smothered with her lip-gloss. She quickly understood what had happened there. She had lost control. _They_ had lost control.

She moved away from him, trying to get up. He reluctantly removed his arms from around her waist. No one said anything. The only sound was that of splashing water when she got out of the tub. Her clothes were dripping wet. She was shocked. If she hadn't realized it, who knew what they would have done in the heat of the moment. When she finally found the courage to speak, she said, "I've placed the towel on the rack near you. The clothes are beside the towel." He didn't say anything.

"I'll tell the maids to give you what you need. I have to go now. I just remembered something important." She never gave him a chance to say anything as she dashed out of the room.

She didn't care if she was dripping in soapy water, or if her clothes were sticking to her body. All she kept thinking about was what could have happened there. She knew she liked Seto, but she wasn't sure if those feelings were out of love or lust. Maybe she just had a little crush on him and would get over it soon. But somehow it didn't feel like a crush. Deep down inside, she knew it was much more then that. They way she felt around him, the way she thought and dreamed about him, it was not just a crush. But this only scared her.

She hadn't forgotten how he treated her before this whole thing. The only reason he was civil to her was because he didn't know it was she, the little cheerleader. Once he found out, he would be back to his normal self. She couldn't afford to love him and end up with a broken heart. She would have to stop this. She couldn't stop her heart from wishing to be with him, but she had control over her body. Seto was able to take care of himself. There was no point staying and taking care of him. Yeah. That's what she would do. She had made up her mind. She would quit the job.

**...**

* * *

please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

**...**

"And then I punched the guy in the face and knocked him out cold." Joey said puffing his chest proudly. The gang was in the game shop, hanging out.

"Yeah right. And then a bunch of girls wearing bikinis came to party with you." Tristen said laughing and grabbed Joey's head in a headlock.

"Hey man. Let me go. You're hurting my brain." Joey said.

"You have a brain? New discovery. This should be on the news. " Tristen said. Yugi laughed and turned to glance at Tea who seemed lost in thought.

"You okay Tea?" He asked her with concern in his voice.

"Huh. Did you say something Yugi?" She asked him.

"What's up Tea? You haven't been talking much." Joey said as he finally freed himself from Tristen's hold.

"Yeah. You haven't insulted Joey once." Tristen said and Joey glared at him.

"It's nothing guys." She lied to them.

"No, there's something definitely wrong. You seem so sad." Tristen said.

"You have been like that ever since that kid you were babysitting went on vacation." Joey pointed out.

"It's nothing guys. Don't worry." Tea said smiling at them. Joey and Tristen shrugged their shoulders, willing to let the matter drop.

"We're always here if you need to talk Tea. We're always going to support you no matter what." Yugi said squeezing her hand. She smiled and squeezed back. Just then her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me." She said and walked away from them to talk.

"Hello." She said.

"Hello, Tea? Where are you? Why aren't you here? Why haven't you been here for 3 days?" Mokuba bombarded her with questions.

"I am at the game shop with the guys." She said.

"Why aren't you here, with Seto?"

"I… I haven't been spending too much time with my friends and you know it. So I just needed a break." Tea lied.

"I don't know what happened between you and Seto, but you have to come back. Seto has been very grumpy ever since you have been gone. He hasn't been eating properly and yells at everyone. He even snapped at me yesterday." Mokuba said worriedly, but the sadness in his voice was evident.

"Oh" was all Tea could say.

"He misses you Tea. You have to come back. Please. He may not say it, but he needs you. He wants you to be there. Please come back. Whatever problem you had, it can be solved." Mokuba said pleadingly.

"Ok. I'll be there." Tea said and shut her phone. She turned to they guys.

"Guys, I have to go. The kid is back and they need me. See ya." She said and ran out of the game shop.

"Did you see that?" Tristen said.

"See what?" Joey said confused.

"Tea was so happy when she said that. It's as if she really wanted to go there." Yugi said.

"What's up with that? Is that kid more special then us?" Joey said thinking.

"Maybe there's something else going on there." Tristen said suspiciously.

"Guys. Tea loves kids and that kid has probably grown on her. That's all." Yugi said, trying to assure them.

/What do you think Yami?/ Yugi asked him.

/…. / Yami didn't answer.

/Yami? Say something. / Yugi said but only silence greeted him. Yami didn't answer. Yugi sighed.

'I hope what I think is right.' He thought to himself.

* * *

Tea quickly walked towards Kaiba mansion. Her heart was screaming in joy. She had decided to quit the job, but somehow never did. She didn't want to. So, she never went there, never talked to Seto or Mokuba for 3 days. But during those days, she had been thinking about him all the time. She always found herself imagining what he would be doing at that time. Was he taking care of himself? Now she had the chance to find out herself. Her heart warned her about what might happen if she lost control again. But she wouldn't let that happen.

"Oh finally. You're here Tea. Thank God." Mokuba sighed in relief as soon as he saw her enter the mansion. Tea opened her mouth to say something but he knew what she was going to say. "Seto is upstairs, in his room. He hasn't eaten anything since morning." Tea nodded and ran upstairs.

Seto felt the door open. He sharply turned his head to yell at the person, but the familiar smell of perfume stopped him from doing so. He heard her gentle steps, approaching. He couldn't believe his senses. Was she really here, or was his mind playing tricks on him.

"Hi." Her melodic voice came. She was real. His heart lifted in joy. "I brought your food." She said and sat beside him on the bed. She placed the spoon near his lips and he opened his mouth without any protest at all.

"Why did you leave?" He finally asked, after he finished eating. She didn't reply for a couple of seconds.

"My friends were asking me to spend time with them." She said.

"Hn." He grunted.

"Did you miss me?" She asked him, but there was no mischief in her voice.

"I didn't have anyone to argue with, so I guess you can say that." He slowly said after a small pause.

"Aw. Aren't you sweet." She said pinching his cheek and laughing. He frowned, but smiled. He really had missed her.

She started cleaning his room, since he hadn't allowed anyone in, and it was a mess.

"Mokuba called you on Sunday, but you never picked it up. He called you many times." Seto said.

"Yeah. I was kind of busy. I am always busy on Sundays." She answered.

"Why?" He asked her, hoping it had nothing to do with a boyfriend.

"I go to church on Sundays." Her answer filled him with relief.

"And you stay there, for how long?"

"As long as they need me."

"What is that supposed to mean? Who needs you there?"

"The father."

"Why does he need you?" Suspicion was evident in his voice. Tea laughed.

"On Sundays, everyone goes to church, so there's a lot that needs to be done. I volunteer to help them. That's why I stay there for as long as needed."

"Oh." He was surprised. He never knew anyone so helpful. This girl was definitely different, in an amazing kind of way.

"This is my way of saying, "forgive me", to God. We do so many sins so I try to redeem myself by helping the church. I also pray for me and all my friends." She said.

"You remind of someone I know. She's also preaching about helping and caring about others. Hn." He scoffed. Tea's face fell. She knew he was talking bout her.

"She must be very nice then." She slowly said.

"She hangs out with losers. If she knew there's was someone much more nicer then her, she would die of shock." Seto said and laughed. "Your parents must be really proud of you."

"I… I guess." Tea slowly said.

"What is that supposed to mean? They don't want you to volunteer at the church?" He asked, amazed.

"No… I don't know."

"What are you trying to say?" He was getting confused by her answers.

"I don't know if they would be happy." She admitted.

"Why? Haven't you told them?

"No."

"Why not?"

"I can't."

"Why not?" He was getting irritated by her answers.

"I don't know where they are." She said sadly.

"What do you mean? They are on some kind of trip?"

"That's what they said when they left." Her voice was so low he had trouble understanding what she was saying.

"Enough with the riddles already." He said loudly.

"I don't know where they are." She yelled. "I don't even know if they are dead or alive." Silence filled the room after her outburst.

"Explain." He finally said.

"They were famous corporate lawyers. When I was 8 years old, they left on a business trip. But never came back. No one knows what happened to them. The press had many different stories. Some said their plane crashed. Some said it was hijacked. Some said they were kidnapped and killed. Some even said that they left because they were sick of their life here and wanted a new start." She stopped there for a while and then continued again.

"I was young and didn't know what to do except cry. I didn't want to believe anything and still don't. That's why I said that I don't know." She sadly said.

"How… how did you survive… without parents? I mean… who took care of you?" Seto hesitantly asked. He knew these topics brought back painful memories.

"Before the business trip, they refused an offer from a powerful company. So many people thought they were killed. No one wanted to take care of me, in fear of his or her safety. Even my relatives were scared. Then finally, my dad's friend became my guardian."

"How did he treat you?" Seto asked. If that man had laid a finger on her, Seto would make sure to cut that hand off.

"He treated me pretty good. He took me in because he wanted to use our money to invest in his new business. He did, and it didn't work out the way he expected. That's why I am now working, or I would have had enough money to live easily." Tea said sighing.

"So that bastard basically used you." Seto said, his voice rising with anger.

"Not really. He was nice enough to take me in, or I would have ended up in an orphanage. I know what that's like, keeping in mind your experience. He was nice and caring. Even if he did take me in for money, he took care of me and helped me get through the tough time, and I am grateful for that."

"So, what does he do now?" Seto asked curiously.

"He has lung cancer and can't work. He's on welfare. I visit him once a week or more if I have time."

"Does he ask for money?" Seto said with venom in his voice. Tea frowned.

"He doesn't. For your information, he is always happy to see me and never asks for anything." She snapped angrily.

"Whatever." Seto said. He knew he had offended her but he refused to apologize. Silence filled the room once again as she moved around, cleaning up.

"Hey, look at the time, I better go make something to eat. I am hungry and I bet you're too." She finally said and walked out of the room, leaving Seto alone.

He couldn't believe what he just heard. And he thought he was the only one with such horrible childhood. She was even worst. She had no clue about her parents, whether they were live or dead. And if they were dead, she couldn't visit their graves. Her uncle took her in for money, and so used her. But instead of turning bitter against him, she still cared for him, and appreciated him. She continued to amaze him. Now he felt closer to her. He knew the pain she had experienced and he could relate to her. They understood each other and very similar.

He had never met anyone like her. She was special to him already. He was worried about her when she left, wondering what did he do wrong? He had missed her and he knew that he valued her. But her value to him had just increased. She was so caring, so gentle that he couldn't imagine ever losing her. And he wouldn't. She was special to him, and he would make her his. He would give her everything she deserved, the happiness and the comfort. He didn't care who she was. He would make her his.

**...**

* * *

please review.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

* * *

...

"Rrrriiiiiinnnnnnggggg." Tea's cell phone rang.

"Hello." She spoke.

"Hey Tea. I've got good news." Mokuba's happy voice came.

"Really. Then spill it mister." Tea replied with a smile.

"Seto is getting his bandages off today."

"WHAT?" Tea was shocked. The playfull mood had evaporated with Mokuba's news.

"Yeah. It's true. The doctor checked and said Seto had recovered completely. And it's all thanks to you."

"Oh… thanks." Tea managed to say.

"And now, you have to come. The doctor is going to take the bandages off at 7:30pm today. You still have 3 hours to get ready. Seto is going to want to see your face. He can't wait." Mokuba continued on excitedly. "So come soon. Bye." He hung up.

Tea sighed. So Seto was getting his bandages off. He would be able to see. And he wanted to see her face. This was good news for him, but bad news for her. She knew once he saw her face, he would be angry. He would feel embarassed at having depended on someone he disliked greatly, and in retaliation, he would humiliate her. He would call her a 'geek' and 'a member of nerd herd' among other nastier things. He had said all these things before too and they never bothered her before. But now, she knew they would pierce her heart. She cared for him… greatly, and couldn't bear to hear all that from him. She had to do something fast.

* * *

"Oh my God. So that's where you have been all this time. I can't believe it. You have been with Kaiba all along. Unbelievable." A shocked serenity exclaimed.

"Yeah. And now, he's getting his bandages off today." Tea said. She had finally confided in the shy and quiet girl. IT was better than telling them. She knew Serenity wouldn't tell the guys, and Tea hoped she might even be able to give some advice.

"That's so cool. Now he can see it were you who took care of him. And maybe he would feel bad for saying all the mean stuff to you." Serenity said and Tea sighed. Serenity was so naive. She hadn't interacted with Kaiba much, and so didn't know what the male was really like, especially in situations where he felt embarassed. He would rather drink poison than call her nice.

"It's Kaiba we're talking about here. He would rather die then admit that he was wrong. When he'll see my face, he would be shocked and angry. He would shut me off. He would tell me to leave. Knowing him, he would humiliate me, probably with his money and I don't want that." Tea said sadly.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Serenity asked and a small sheepish smile crept upon Tea's face.

"I thought maybe you could help me."

"What can I do?" Serenity was confused.

"He wants to know who was taking care of him. He would obviously go nuts if he sees me. He hates me. But he doesn't hate you." Tea had thought this through. Kaiba was barely aware of Serenity's presence. She hoped he wouldn't even recognize her and make the connection between her and Joey. And if he did recognize her, well, it wouldn't be as bad as with Tea.

"What? Tea, please tell me you're not thinking what I think you are." Serenity begged, her face turning pale.

"During Battle City, he ignored you and never said a single word to you. That means he doesn't hate you. So if you go, he would probably let you leave with a word or two." Tea said logically.

"No Tea. Please I can't do it. I am scared ofKaiba." Serenity said fearfully. "I get so nervous around him that I feel nauseous. I won't be able to do it."

"Please serenity. Just this one favor. I promise I won't ask for anything else. Please." Tea begged.

"Tea, I am Joey's sister, Kaiba's arch nemesis' sister. He is going to kill me." Serenity said.

"No he won't. I know he won't. The last time he saw was a while ago, so hopefully, he won't remember you as Joey's sister. Besides, he doesn't know you so he wouldn't have many insults. With me, it's different because we have knows each other for years. He has a lot of ammo against me, but you will be fine. It won't be so hard. All you have to do is stand there and let him believe it was you. Then you can leave. He won't say anything. End of story." Tea reasoned.

"But-."

"Please Serenity." Tea said clasping her hands before her.

"Ok. But I'm scared of him. I might get a heart attack and if I die, I blame it on you." Serenity said with a hesitant smile, half-seriously.

"Thank you so much Serenity. And don't worry, I'll say a lot of nice words on your funeral." Tea said hugging Serenity and the girls laughed.

"Ok, let's go now. I'll take you there and I'll explain everything to Mokuba too." Tea said and the girls walked towards the Kaiba mansion.

* * *

"Tea, have you lost your mind?" Mokuba asked Tea after he heard what she was planning to do.

"No Mokuba. I'm perfectly sane, and that's why I'm doing this." Tea said. They were inside the kitchen while Serenity sat in the living room.

"Tea, I can't believe you are chickening out. Why?" Mokuba asked her.

"After spending some time with you brother, I kind of grew fond of him. And I won't be able to take the usual insults from him." Tea admitted.

"But he won't insult you. He likes you and really wants to see your face. I'm sure once he sees your face, he will be surprised but happy. He would still respect you like he did when he had the bandages on." Mokuba tried to assure her.

"You know that's not true. Seto hates me and if he finds out it was me who took care of him, he would be extra angry. He would look at it as pity and I don't want him to think that. He would take it as a blow to his pride. He doesn't like being helped, especially by people who are related to Yugi in any way." Tea said and Mokuba nodded.

"So, you're gonna let Serenity take all the credit?"

"Yes. Seto doesn't hate her as much as he hates me. So he'll probably let her go easily." Tea said.

"Yeah and Seto doesn't know her either. I'm sure he never noticed her existence during the Battle City Tournament." Mokuba pointed out.

"Precisely. That's why he would believe that she was nice to him."

"My brother is smart and you know that. He would find out sooner or later." Mokuba warned her.

"It will be too late by then. And I'm sure he wouldn't bother to find out about some stupid girl." Tea said sadly.

"Tea, think it over one more time." Mokuba said, in a pleading tone. Just then a maid came.

"Master Mokuba, the doctor is here to take off the bandages." She said and walked away. Mokuba took a deep breath.

"Tea, listen to me. My brother may act like a jerk, but he is a nice person. You have seen it in the days you took care of him. He won't be mad." Mokuba tried one last time.

"I have already made up my mind. I know I am being a coward right now, but I don't want to get hurt." She quickly said and left. Mokuba watched her go and slowly whispered.

"He can't hurt you tea. He likes you a lot."

* * *

Seto awaited the doctor to start removing his bandages. He was happy and excited to finally be able to see. He wanted to see Mokuba, his room, his mansion, his company's progress, and his stocks. But most of all, he wanted to see _her_. How long had he waited for this day to come when he would finally find out who she was and what she looked like? Too long, he decided. Too long indeed.

He had already imagined her face in his dreams. He imagined her to have shinning blue eyes, like his. They would shine with concern, love, mischief, determination and anger. They would be deeper then the ocean and broader then the sky, endless where he would get lost. Her hair would be chocolate brown, like his hair. They would be silky and smooth. She would also have some bangs to cover her beautiful eyes whenever she blushed or was embarrassed. She would be tall, not as tall as him, but about 5'4 or 5'5. She would have a nice body, strong but delicate at the same time. The last one, he was quite sure about, having figured that out earlier.

He felt the doctor start removing his bands. His heart raced with excitement. With every roll, his heartbeat increased. Finally, the bandages were completely off. But his eyes were still shut. The doctor urged him to open them. He slowly opened them but closed them instantly. The bright light hurt his eyes. But he had to open them in order to see her face. He did and saw that he was in his room. He already knew that. He glanced to his left and saw Mokuba.

"Mokuba." He said and Mokuba came running to him. He hugged his brother tightly.

"I'm so happy for you Seto." Mokuba whispered and seto smiled. He had missed seeing his brother.

"I'm glad to be back too. Now, I can see what you have been doing all this time, and see how you managed the company." Seto said and Mokuba smiled. His brother was officially back. Seto's eyes glanced around toe room, trying to find another face, but he wouldn't see anyone.

"Mokuba, where…. Where is she?" Seto asked. Mokuba's face fell slightly.

"Umm, she is outside. She was scared to come inside." Mokuba said and Seto was surprised. Last time he checked, she wasn't afraid of him at all.

"Bring her in. Tell her I want to see her." Seto said. Mokuba nodded and left. Seto closed his eyes again. The light really did hurt his eyes. He knew it would take come time for his eyes to adjust to the light. He heard the door open and expected the familiar scent to reach his nostrils. But instead, came a different smell. His eyes snapped pen and landed on… Serenity Wheeler?

"What?" Seto managed to say. Clearly, he hadn't expect this. Not at all.

"H…h… hi." She finally said after much effort. Seto could see she was scared as hell.

He just stared at her in shock. It couldn't be her. She couldn't be the girl who took care of him, and who stood up to him. It was impossible. Wheeler's sister was the quietest person he knew. She was weak and pathetic. He heard about her duel with Nesbit and was disgusted. He knew she was dependant on those around her, not dependable. How could she have been the girl who bossed him around? How could she have the courage to face him, to tease him, to play with him? She wasn't the type to command. She was the kind to be commanded. It didn't make any sense. And didn't she live with her mother? Wheeler's parents were divorced but alive. The girl had told him her parents were dead. Was she lying? Only one way to find out. He turned to stare at her with an intense gaze. If she really was the girl who took care of him, she wouldn't be intimidated.

Serenity could feel her head spin with fear. He was glaring at her with those icy eyes. She just wanted to run away and hide from him. He was very intimidating. She fiddled with her fingers. She wanted to leave, to run, but was too scared to even move. She felt paralyzed and helpless under his penetrating gaze. She wished she hadn't listened to Tea and hadn't come here. Kaiba could do anything to her. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Seto noticed her discomfort and decided to speak.

"So you took care of me when I couldn't see?" He asked in a monotonous voice. She slowly nodded without looking up at him.

"Hmm. Why are you wearing a different perfume?" He asked her and she slowly looked up, confusion evident in her eyes.

"I… I always wear… this... this perfume." She stuttered.

"You wore a different one when you came here before." Kaiba said crossing his arms over his chest. Then it hit Serenity. Tea used a different perfume and he was talking about that one.

"Umm… I was using that so…. You wouldn't know who I was." She lied and he glared.

"Hmm. Is that so?" He said, not willing to believe her. "What did you tell your stupid, geeky friends when you came here?"

"I… I said… that I was at a friend." She lied and hoped he would buy it.

"I didn't know you could lie. I didn't think you had it in you." He said with a smirk. She didn't respond. Her behavior was agitating him. He expected her to say something, but she stood there like a statue, a nervous wreck.

"What else you told me was a lie?" He asked her suspiciously. He still didn't believe it was her who took care of him.

"Umm…. I…. Everything." She finally said. He just stared at her.

"Oh really." He said. "Why don't you get me my laptop? I have to check the stocks." He said. She didn't move.

"What are you waiting for?" He suddenly snapped, his agitation getting the best of him, scaring her out of her wits. She seemed like she was about to cry.

"I… don't… don't know… where is it." She said between stiffled sobs. He frowned.

"I can't believe you are behaving like this. You were so brave before." He said.

"I… I was … acting like that… because you didn't know me." She said. Seto sighed.

'Should have known. She was brave when I couldn't see her. Now that I can, she is scared.' He thought. 'Explains a bit.'

"Ok, since you did me a favor, it's only fair that I do something in return." Seto said with a smirk.

* * *

Tea impatiently waited for Serenity to return. She was worried about the girl. After she left the mansion, she felt guilty about leaving Serenity to confront Kaiba. The girl would faint from fear and it would all be Tea's fault. How could she subject her friend to something she didn't want for herself? How could she be so selfish? Numerous times, she thought of going back to the mansion and revealing herself, but she couldn't muster the courage to do it. Seto's sneering face kept flashing in her head and she couldn't find the strength to move. She truly was a coward.

She had been counting every minute; every second that passed by and hoped Kaiba didn't hurt Serenity. Suddenly, the door opened and in came a shocked Serenity. Tea ran to her.

"Oh Serenity, I'm so sorry for doing this to you. Please forgive me." Tea said and led Serenity inside her apartment. Serenity didn't say a word. This worried Tea even more.

"Serenity, say something. I said I was sorry." Tea said.

"He… he…" Serenity began. Tea's heartbeat increased. What did he do to her? It must be horrible to put Serenity in such a state. Tea felt even more guilty. She had let Serenity get hurt just so she could save herself some pain. Serenity didn't deserve what Kaiba did to her. _She_ did.

"Oh Serenity." Tea whispered hugging the girl. Serenity didn't hug her back, but instead opened her mouth to speak.

"He… he asked me on a date."

...

* * *

please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback/dream_

* * *

...

"W… what?" Tea said, completely baffled at what she had just heard.

"He asked me on a date. I know it's shocking but it's true." Serenity squealed in joy.

"Oh." Tea could not think straight at that moment. She hadn't expect this at all. She had thought that he was going to let her go without so much as a thank you. But he had asked her on a date. Her, Serenity, and not _her _because he thought it were she who was there with him, and not _she_. She now regretted her decision to not confront him. If only she had gone and faced him, she would have been the one going out with him and not Serenity. But it was already too late. She had blown her opportunity. She had willingly given it away all because of her cowardice.

Why had she done that? She had never been afraid to face him before. Then why now of all times? She sighed, already knowing the answer. It was because she had developed feelings for him and couldn't bear his harsh words. Well, so much for the harsh words.

"Tea, can you help me get dressed for the date?" Serenity's voice shook her out of her thoughts and she focused on the glowing girl. "I am going to need your help. You know what he likes and you can help me. And can I borrow your perfume too?" Serenity asked, completely oblivious to her friend's inner thoughts. Even though her heart was breaking, Tea managed a smile.

"Sure." Tea said. "You can have my perfume."

'I already gave you my chance at love. A perfume is nothing.' She silently added.

* * *

Serenity stood before the mirror, wearing her best dress, which happened to be pink. Tea had told Serenity that Seto wasn't a big fan of pink, but it was the best dress she had, so she wore it anyway. She believed it looked good on her since Duke and Tristen had told her so, which was true. She looked beautiful, and Tea knew that Seto would surely fall for the sweet girl.

As she saw Serenity get ready, regret and envy rose in her heart, but she knew Serenity was not to blame here. It was her fault and her fault alone. She had done this to herself. She had refused to take the risk, thrusting Serenity into a situation she didn't want to be in, and so now all rewards rightfully belonged to Serenity.

"So, how do I look?" Serenity asked Tea.

"You look gorgeous." Tea said honestly.

"I just hope he likes it. I am so excited. And where's your perfume?" Tea handed it to her and she sprayed it liberally.

"Now he'll never know." Tea said smiling sadly.

"Know what?" Serenity asked while inquiring herself in the mirror again.

"Nothing." Tea replied. It seemed like Serenity had forgotten it already.

"Well, I guess I'm ready. Thank you for helping me Tea." Serenity said and Tea smiled weakly. She had to look happy for her, even though on the inside, she was crumbling. She didn't have to put up the facade for long because the doorbell rang.

"It must be him." Serenity squealed. "Can you get it please? I'll be there in a second." Serenity asked, turning back to the mirror to check her makeup.

"Sure." Tea's mouth said but her mind screamed 'no.' She didn't want to see him. Not today, not ever. But she had no choice. She knew she couldn't live the rest of her life avoiding him, especially if he was going to date Serenity for the long term. This thought brought a fresh wave of pain and regret in her heart but she ignored it. She had to be strong. Cowardice had brought her into this situation and she would not be weak any longer.

Her legs carried her to the door. Serenity was getting ready at her house and not at Joey's apartment, because of her brother of course. Tea had told the guys that Serenity was spending the evening with her. This way, they would let her go and she could be with Kaiba.

She took a deep breath, put on a cheerful façade and opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw. Seto stood there with a nice blue suit. He wasn't wearing a tie, and the top 2 buttons of his shirt were open, showing his chest. He looked positively hot. When he saw who opened the door, a frown appeared on his handsome face.

"Gardner." He said acknowledging her presence.

"Serenity is ready. She'll be down in a minute. You can come inside and wait if you want." Tea said monotonously, and quickly turned around to walk inside, leaving the door open for him.

"No thanks. I'd rather step in dirt." He sneered, and waited for her to retaliate. However, she never did. She didn't even turn around.

Tea felt her heart break even more, if that was possible, at his comment. He really disliked her. After all she had done for him, he still hated her. If only he knew the truth, then he wouldn't be saying such mean things. But he thought that Serenity had done all that, and so he was nice to her. But Tea was still a no good cheerleader and nothing more. She did not deserve his kindness or respect, and the worst part was that she couldn't even yell at him anymore.

Seto was surprised at her behavior. Why was she acting that way? She was a firecracker and was supposed to go boom now. Maybe he didn't put enough fire to light it.

"So this is your house?" He asked, causally glancing around. She didn't answer. Instead, she went to play with the TV remote.

"Figures. It's messy and filthy." This was sure to get her in action, and it did. She turned around with fire burning in her eyes and charged towards him. He stood there, ready and with a smirk in his face. It was always fun teasing her. Among the nerd herd, she was his favorite to mess around with because she could actually come up with decent and intelligent retorts, unlike the rest of the idiots who were quick to resort to physical voilence. Seto always had fun exchanging witty insults with her, and though he was loathe to admit, the victories weren't always his.

Tea was beyond angry. She was already hurt and sad and then he made it worst by insulting her. Love or not, she couldn't let him push her around. She tried to slap some sense into him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't you dare touch me with your dirty hands Gardner." He growled, masking his surprise at her actions. She had tried to physically attack him. He had said worse things to her in the past but it had never gotten her this angry. Clearly something else was bothering her.

'These are them same hands that touched you many times before.' Her mind yelled, but no words came out of her mouth.

Seto didn't let go of her wrist. The sensation of holding her tiny wrist was awfully familiar, as if her had felt her skin before. It was soft and smooth, just like _her_. But Tea couldn't be _her_. It was impossible. But then again, she did possess many qualities as _her_. He met her eyes and instead of finding anger and hatred, he found sadness and longing. For some reason, he couldn't stop staring. There was some unknown force that was attracting him to her. Unconsciously, he brushed his thumb against her smooth skin, still gazing into her oceanic blue eyes. Her expression changed to-.

"What is happening here?" Serenity's voice broke the magic that had been created. Tea quickly freed her arm and turned around to face her. Seto also turned to stare at his date. She was wearing pink, much to his dislike. During his recovery, he had imagined her to like subdued colors, but there she was, wearing _pink_. Her hair had been tied in a bun and she looked much more older and mature.

Funny, he remembered her to have short hair. He had run his fingers through her silky locks and he could swear they were shoulder length, much like Gardener's. His attention turned back to Tea. She wasn't wearing anything fancy, just baby blue pajamas, even though it was pretty early in the evening. But even in those, he was finding her attractive. He shook his head to clear such ridiculous thoughts. He couldn't find Tea attractive. She was just a cheerleader who knew nothing better then to cheer from sidelines.

Serenity descended down the stairs with as much grace as she could muster, without showing her nervousness. Seto stepped forward and took her hand. He could swear she just fainted for a second.

"Let's go." He said and led her to the door.

"Thanks Tea. I'll see you later. Bye." Serenity yelled over her shoulder and walked out. Before leaving, Seto took one last look at Tea. She looked defeated and depressed. Seto knew there was something definitely wrong with her.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked Serenity.

"N… nothing." She said.

"Why did you thank her?" He asked again, eyeing her intently as they walked towards the limo.

"She told Joey that I'm with her so he wouldn't ask any questions. And … so I can … be… with you." She added shyly, a blush adorning her face.

"Hmm. So she must has lied for you many times before." He concluded. It seemed logical. Tea must have lied to Wheeler and the others to cover for Serenity's absence while she visited his mansion.

"No. This is the first time." Serenity said without thinking.

"Then what did you tell your brother during those days?" He asked.

"What days?" She asked him confused, not catching on to what he was referring to. Seto raised an eyebrow. Did she forget already or did she not know at all?

"When you stayed at my mansion to take care of me." He clarified. Her eyes went wide with realization.

"Oh yeah. She… she lied for me then too. Silly me…. I forgot." She said laughing nervously. Seto frowned in suspicion.

During the limo ride, she kept fiddling with the hem of her dress and never said a word to him, sneaking glances at him like a shy fangirl. Her behaviour struck as odd to him. When he was blinded, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. She had been an energetic and talkative person, always teasing him about one thing or another. Infact, he remembered her to be very social, and quite feisty, muck like Tea.

Again, her image flashed in his mind. Why had she behaved so oddly? She seemed like she had lost someone. But who? She had her friends and her parents with-. Actually, he hadn't seen her parents in the house. Were they out of town? Maybe that's why she was so sad. But now that he thought about it, he realized that he had never seen them at all. He had never even heard of them. During the meetings at the school, Yugi's grampa would talk to the teachers about her progress. He never paid any attention to that before but now, it seemed important, like it had some significance in his life. Before he could think on it a bit more, the driver opened the door.

"We're here master Kaiba." He said. Seto nodded and got out. He offered his hand to Serenity who accepted it and stepped out as well. She gasped at the beauty of his mansion. Seto wanted to have his first date in his mansion, for some reasons.

"Wow, it's so huge and beautiful." She said as she stared with wide eyes.

Seto turned to stare at her. She was acting like she had never seen it before, but she had spent the last two weeks there. Was she acting? Somehow he doubted that. The look on her face told him she really had never seen anything like it before. He noted that in his mind and walked inside. She behaved the same inside as well, scanning the area and gasping at the beauty. It did seem like it was her first time inside. Seto's suspicion arose.

Unknown to Seto, it was Serenity's first time in his mansion, well, second time if one counted her first meeting with him when he removed his bandages. But she had been to nervous and afraid to look at anything. Now she curiously looked around, amazed at its grandeur and beauty. She knew he was rich, but she hadn't expected all this. She had only seen these kind of mansions on TV and had never even dreamed of being in one. But here she was. She could almost squeal in excitement.

He led her to a room where a table for two had been set. They seated themselves. Serenity studied the room while Seto studied her and her behavior. Just then, very faint footsteps were heard. Seto knew who it was and knew he was trying to walk without being noticed.

"Mokuba." He called. The footsteps stopped and then approached them.

"What is it?" Mokuba asked in a monotonous tone.

"Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Serenity?" Seto asked, eyeing the kid. Mokuba turned to Serenity and muttered.

"Hi." It sounded like it came from a robot. Seto frowned. "Can I go now?" Mokuba asked, but didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he walked out of the room. This only made Seto even more suspicious then he already was. Mokuba hadn't been very thrilled at his idea of asking Serenity on a date.

(Flashback)

_"You're going to do what?" Mokuba nearly screamed in shock and rage._

_"I already did. I asked Serenity on a date." Seto said calmly._

_"But why? She is Joey Wheeler's sister. How could you?" Mokuba asked with anger in his eyes. Seto stared at his brother in confusion._

_"She took care of me, Mokuba. She helped me, and I want to do something for her in return." Seto explained. He couldn't understand Mokuba's objection. He thought his brother would be happy at his decision._

_"Why can't you just offer her some money, or buy her flowers? Why ask her on a date?" Mokuba huffed. Seto was genuinely shocked at his response. What was wrong with his brother? Why was he so ticked off at him asking Serenity on a date?_

_Mokuba was different then Seto. While Seto believed that any problem could be solved with money, Mokuba thought otherwise. He believed in the power of hearfelt deeds over monetary rewards. But now, when Seto was showing his heart, Mokuba was talking about money. This wasn't like his brother at all._

_"Why are you against this?" Seto asked his brother._

_"Because I don't like her." Mokuba replied with a distasteful frown. "If you really want to go on a date, why not with someone like Tea?" At this, Seto sneered._

_"Because I don't like her." Mokuba's face fell, and Seto saw sadness in his usually cheerful eyes. Why was he so sad? Surely he knew about Seto's dislike for all the permanent members of the geek squad._

_"Do whatever you want." Mokuba finally said and turned around to leave. Seto just stood there, more confused than ever at his brother's behaviour._

(End flashback)

Mokuba had said he didn't like Serenity, but when Seto was temporarily blinded, Mokuba had loved her. There were many occasions when both Mokuba and her would team up on him, mostly when he would refuse to take his medicine. They would laugh together and make stupid jokes. Then why the sudden change in attitude? Seto knew Mokuba hadn't changed. He was still the same. And that left only one possibility.

The servants brought food for them. Seto noticed she was avoiding eye contact with him. Even earlier, whenever he asked her anything, she would look away when answering.

"So, you lied to me." He said, carefully watching her. Her face suddenly went pale, as if she was caught doing a crime.

"L… lied? What… are you … saying?" She stuttered, and Seto was sure he could see her hands shake slightly.

"About your parents." He said. She seemed lost for a moment.

"What… exactly did I say?" She asked sheepishly, and he frowned.

"You said they were lost or dead."

Oh yeah. I… I lied about that." She said after thinking for a moment. Seto frowned. When she had told him that before, she had seemed dead serious, and it felt like the truth. She had sounded so sad when she had told him that. Was she acting then or wass she acting now?

"And about your uncle too?" He inquired. Again, she thought for a moment, as if carefully considering her answer.

"Umm, yeah." She said, hoping it really was a lie. She didn't know what Tea had told him, but she hoped it was all a lie.

"And about church too?" He asked causally, but his eyes were alert.

"Yes. Everything I told you was a lie, because I didn't want you to find out." Serenity said, trying to change the topic of conversation. She should have asked Tea for more information before coming here.

"And about what you thought of Wheeler?" Seto pressed.

"What did I say about jJoey?" She asked, clearly curious, and Seto's frown deepened.

"You said you found him attractive."

"What? Eww. No. He's my brother. I'd never say that." Serenity replied immediately without thinking, a disgusted look on her face.

"I thought as much." Seto said causally with an expressionless face.

"Excuse me." She got up. "I…. Where's the… bathroom?" She asked, her face crimson with embarrassment.

"Don't you remember?" He said with a smirk on his face, recalling the blissful make-out session he had shared with her.

"I… I forgot." She finally said.

"I can tell." He replied. "Third door." He said and went back to eating. But she just stood there, like an idiot. Seto sighed, trying not to let his frustration show.

"Elise, take her to the bathroom." He told his maid who was nearby, and she came to take Serenity away.

When she disappeared out of sight, Seto rubbed his temples. She had forgotten where was the bathroom. She had behaved like she had never seen his mansion before, even though she had spent a lot of time there. She said she had lied about everything. But somehow he refused to believe that. As he recalled their conversation, he knew she had been telling the truth, even though he couldn't see her face. And Mokuba's behavior was a clear indication as well. Everything made it all too obvious.

Serenity wasn't _her_.

But then who was _she_?

...

* * *

please review.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback/dream_

* * *

...

"Seto." Serenity's small voice caused Seto to look up from his laptop and glance at the door, from where her head peeked.

"What?" He asked roughly.

"I wanted to talk to you." she said nervously, stepping inside the office. Seto frowned but put his laptop aside to show he was listening. She fidgeted.

"Hurry up. I have work to do." He said, getting frustrated at her behaviour. She nodded and spoke.

"I was wondering… if I could…" She hesitated, glancing shyly at him.

"Just say it already." Seto said.

"I want to tell Joey and the other about our relationship." She finally said. Seto's glare intensified.

"And may I ask why?" He asked with a sneer.

"I have never hidden anything from Joey before, and hiding something as big as this is very difficult for me." She said. "Besides, Tea knows and she hasn't done anything."

'Oh yes, Gardner.' Seto thought. His thoughts drifted towards the brunette. She had been acting very, very strange. Before this whole incident, she was always warming up to him, smiling at him and trying to make an effort to get him to be friendly. If not that, then she was exchanging witty insults with him. All throughout, she was always cheerful.

But in the past few days, he had noticed a drastic change in her behavior, especially towards him. Initially, she used to smile at him and say "hi" every time she saw him in the school hallways, but now she avoided his gaze and him. If they ever faced, she averted her gaze and walked away without saying a word. If that wasn't odd, she had stopped laughing too much. Infact, she acted sad and down whenever he stepped in the room. It was as if he sucked the joy right out of her. How was that possible? He always thought she had non-ending supply of it, since she was radiating with it. What was going on with her?

"So I want to tell them. Please?" Serenity begged. Seto snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to her.

"No." He said plainly and started typing again.

"Please Seto. Just them and no one else." She begged again. Seto sighed. Why was she still here? Oh yes, he had kept her to find the real "_her_." He knew it must be someone close to Serenity since she had trusted Serenity enough to pull this off. Too bad it didn't work on him.

He had tried to ask Mokuba but the kid refused to say a word. Even when Seto told him that he knew Serenity wasn't the one, he didn't open his mouth. Seto then tried to get it out of the maids that must have seen the girl, but they also refused to help him. He tried threatening their jobs but Mokuba had already told them that their jobs were secure. So Seto was left alone to find out the identity of the girl.

"Seto please." Serenity pleaded again.

"Okay." Seto finally said and she squealed with joy, leaving the office to allow him to work.

After she left, he thought about the whole thing. Maybe the geeks knew who the real girl was. They were stupid and easily manipulated. It wouldn't be difficult getting information out of them. And seeing the look on Wheeler's face when he would learn that his sister was dating him would be worth it. Who knows, it might even cause them to break up, ridding him of her. And finally, he might even learn what was wrong with Tea. The advantages were many.

* * *

Serenity entered the game shop and found everyone sitting and talking as usual. Joey, Tea and Yugi were sitting on the couch. Tristen and Duke were on the floor and Bakura was with Mokuba, sitting on another couch near Yugi. Serenity had made sure they would all be there when she told them the great news.

"Hey sis, come on in." Joey said cheerfully, watching her enter.

"Big brother, I want you to meet someone." Serenity said nervously and moved aside to reveal a smirking Seto. The only reason he had decided to be there was to aggravate jJoey, and see his reaction first hand.

"I know that jerk already. He's Kaiba, class A asshole." Joey said and shared a laugh with Tristen.

"He's my boyfriend." Serenity slowly said and the laughter stopped. Everyone stared at Serenity and Seto, except Tea. She bowed her head so her bangs covered her eyes, making it hard to see her emotions.

"You're kidding. Right?" Tristen said with disbelief.

"No, I am dating him." Serenity said, slightly emboldened by their lack of response.

"What?" Joey screamed getting up instantly. "Kaiba you jerk, how dare you even think of my sister?" He yelled and advanced towards Kaiba to punch him, but Tea grabbed his arm.

"Joey calm down, hear her out first." She said. Joey turned to glare at her but then slowly nodded.

"Explain it Serenity. Why are you dating that creep?"

"Because I like him." Serenity said and Seto noticed Tea cringe at the words. He wondered why that was so. Serenity had told him that Tea supported her and was going to calm Joey and the others. She had calmed others but didn't seem so calm herself, neither did she look completely acceptant of their relationship.

"But that's impossible. How could you like him? He is a jerk." Joey said in disbelief.

"I just do." Serenity said. "And you'll have to accept it. Please big brother." She pleaded. Joey turned his head away in anger.

"Joey, she's your sister." Tea slowly said, even though Seto still couldn't see her eyes.

"I know and she goes off and does something like this." Joey spat angrily.

"Kaiba isn't so bad. He may act like a jerk but he's actually decent. Look at how he treats Mokuba. I'm sure he will treat Serenity in the same way." She said slowly. Her voice sounded plain, devoid of any emotion.

"How can you be so sure?" Tristen asked her hotly. He had liked serenity and now he found out she was in love with someone else.

"Because… I know. I trust Kaiba and if you trust me, then you should trust him too." Tea said and Seto's eyes widened slightly. Gardner trusted _him_? But why? How? What reason did she have to support him?

"Yeah Joey, kaiba has helped us in the past and we know he's not a bad guy." Yugi said supporting Tea who smiled gratefully at the boy.

"Okay Kaiba." Joey said after a pause. "I'm willing to give you a chance, but only because Tea and Yugi support for you. You better not hurt my sister." Joey finally said. Seto was compelled to say something but didn't knowing what it might cause.

"Thanks Joey. I knew you'd understand." Serenity squealed and ran to hug her brother, who smiled in affection.

"Hey Kaiba, why don't you sit down?" Bakura offered and stood up, leaving space for Seto. He sat on a chair. Serenity also came to sit with Seto. Now Mokuba got up and sat away. Seto frowned at his brother's behavior.

"I will go get some drinks." Tea offered and got up, but Duke quickly grabbed her arm and yanked her back on the couch.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting away that easily." Duke said smirking.

"Yeah, so tell us Tea." Joey urged with a smirk on his face.

"How old is that "kid"?" Duke said with a snicker. Besides, Tristen smirked widely. It seemed like Tea was in some sort of trouble.

"I told you already. Why do you keep pressuring me?" Tea said glaring at them.

"Because we think that "kid," is not a kid at all. He's your boyfriend, or at least someone you like." Bakura said with a smile. Seto' head snapped in Tea's direction to see her reaction. Her mouth hung wide open and a small blush crept on her face but she quickly recovered. Seto also noticed Serenity stiffening slightly beside him.

"I told you there's no one. If there was someone, I would tell you, especially now that I see how I would be tortured if I ever hid him from you. So stop bothering me. I can't believe you'd think something like that." She said, crossing her arms in a childish manner.

"We just thought that since you were always so happy when you went to visit him." Yugi said.

"No, I just liked that kid a lot. That's all." Tea replied.

"Then why did you suddenly leave the job?" Joey asked slyly.

"He… he got another babysitter." She slowly said. "Now that you know, can I go get a drink? This inquisition has gotten me thirsty." She said and got up.

"I'll go with you." Mokuba volunteered and went with her into the kitchen. Seto didn't fail to notice the expression on their faces as they left together, and knew something was up.

"So Kaiba, how did you start liking Serenity?" Yugi just had to open his mouth. Seto frowned.

"We met at his mansion." Serenity quickly spoke, and Seto was glad she did.

"I'll go check up on Mokuba." He said and got up, leaving her to deal with their questions.

Inside the kitchen, Mokuba and Tea were talking.

"You okay?" Mokuba asker her, concern evident in his tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled a fake smile.

"He knows. He figured it out." Mokuba slowly said as he took out some pop cans form the fridge.

"I expected him to. He is a genius after all." Tea smiled slightly.

"So what are you going to do now?" Mokuba asked and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm going to keep ignoring him, like I'm doing now. Even if he suspects me, I'd deny it completely. He'll grow to love Serenity. She's sweet and nice. She would definitely make a place in his heart." Tea said.

"But all the space in his heart is already occupied by someone who doesn't wish to be there." Mokuba said, not once looking at Tea. She didn't respond to that. Just then, Seto entered the kitchen.

"So Gardner, I heard you had a job. Did you really leave it or did they kick you out because of your annoying voice and your constant and may I say pathetic attempts to help everyone?" Seto said, smirking. She didn't say anything. Instead, she bowed down her head and walked out of the kitchen with the drinks. As soon as she left, Mokuba glared at his brother.

"Seto, how could you say that to her?" Mokuba said with anger in his eyes. Before Seto could answer, Mokuba was out of the kitchen as well. Seto was startled by his little brother's behavior. This wasn't the first time Seto had insulted Tea or Yugi or anyone of their other friends, and Mokuba only frowned, sometimes chiding him and asking him to be nice. But now he had just blew his head over a small comment.

'Odd. Very, very odd.' Seto thought and followed them out. Everyone was enjoying his or her drink. There was one left for him as well. He took his spot next to Serenity and started sipping. Tea was avoiding his gaze and Mokuba was glaring at him.

"So Gardner, who did you work for?" Seto asked causally.

"I… I don't have to tell you anything." She said and got up again.

"Where are you going?" Yugi asked her.

"I need to look for a new job. I'll see you guys later." She said.

"I can help you with that." Mokuba offered.

"No thanks. I can find one on my own. Thanks for the offer though." She smiled at him and walked out of the game shop. When she left, the guys exchanged looks.

"She's doing it again." Joey said.

"Doing what?" Seto asked out of curiosity. Joey turned to glare at him, but Yugi put a hand on his shoulders and spoke.

"She is upset, that we know, but why, we don't know." Yugi said.

"It's just liked the time that kid went on vacation." Tristen pointed out.

"Vacation?" Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He went there for three days or so, and she was all sad and upset. She wasn't paying attention to anything, just thinking a lot. She really missed him." Tristen explained.

"Yeah, but then she got a call to come back to work, and she went back to being her cheerful self. Now she has left the job and so is back to being sad and all." Bakura said.

"Anyway, Kaiba, tell us more about you and Serenity. How did it all happen?" Duke asked and Seto rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I had an accident." Seto said.

"Then why are you still here?" Joey snapped. Seto could tell he wasn't happy with his sister dating him. He smirked inwardly.

"Joey. Don't say that." Serenity said. "Seto was very badly hurt, and I took care of him." Serenity said proudly, as if she really had done so.

"Really? When did you go to meet him? Because I remember you were with us all the time." Tristen asked suspiciously.

"I went to see him after school, everyday for two weeks." Serenity said, hoping they wouldn't say anything to blow her thin cover.

"Two weeks? That's how long Tea babysat the kid. Right guys?" Tristen said thoughtfully. They nodded.

"Yeah, she was the one who was always running off after school. I'd think she was the one who was with you Kaiba." Balura said causally. Seto's eyes snapped wide open at that. She was at work at the same time that the girl was with him, and for the same duration of time as well. Could it be that Tea was the girl? No. That couldn't be.

"Tea… taking care of Kaiba She'd rather bite his head off." Tristen said laughing with Joey.

"Why are you laughing?" Mokuba said hotly, surprising everyone.

"What? We're just saying that Tea and Kaiba are always fighting so there's a greater chance that she would hurt him, not heal him." Duke said.

"No, she is not like that. She would take care of Seto if he was hurt, and she would help him." Mokuba said confidently.

"How do you know that for sure Mokuba?" It was Seto who asked.

"Because I just know." Mokuba said and walked out of the game shop as well, leaving everyone confused, and a Serenity sweating.

* * *

Seto entered the game shop, eyes scanning for Mokuba. He had left early that morning, telling him that he would be at the Game Shop. Seto found him sitting on the couch next to Yugi. Next, his eyes searched for Tea but she was missing.

"Hey Mokuba, why didn't you bring Kaiba to the church with us? He's a part of our group now so he should have been there." Duke asked Mokuba who shrugged his shoulders. It was Sunday and they all had gone to church, including Mokuba.

"Didn't Tea pressure you to get him? She should have." Joey said. This got Seto's attention.

"She forces you to go to church?" Seto asked them. He hadn't pegged her to be overly religious.

"Yeah, she does. She goes there every Sunday and takes us with her, even Joey. And she doesn't let him fall asleep there either." Tristen said laughing at the sour look that appeared on Joey's face.

_I go to church on Sundays. _Her words rang in his mind.

"Why isn't she back with you?" Seto said, his heartbeat increasing for some reason.

"She volunteers there." Yugi said causally and Seto felt his heartbeat increase tenfold.

_On Sundays, everyone goes to church, so there's a lot that needs to be done. I volunteer to help them. That's why I stay there for as long as needed._

"But today, there wasn't much work." Duke said.

"Yeah. But she told me she was going to stay. She wanted to pray for her uncle." Yugi said.

"Uncle?" Seto said with a quivering voice.

_My dad's friend became my guardian. _

"Yeah. You probably don't know Kaiba. She never told anyone about this but since you're Serenity's boyfriend, we can tell you. Her parents are missing. No one knows if they are even alive. She was young when they went on a trip and never came back. Her dad's friend took her in." Yugi explained in a sombre voice.

_When I was 8 years old, they left on a business trip, but never came back. No one knew what happened to them._

"What about her uncle?" Seto asked, already knowing the answer.

"He has lung cancer. Poor man. It's really sad. She loves him and is in the church praying for his health. She told me yesterday his condition got worst." Bakura said sadly.

_He has lung cancer._

That was all Seto needed to hear. He marched out of the game shop, with Serenity yelling at him to come back, and everyone else asking where he was going. But he didn't care about them. He knew who the girl was. It was Tea. It was her all along. Now it all made sense. Her odd behavior was because she was breaking up inside, watching him with someone else.

* * *

Tea stood in church, clasping hands in front of her, her eyes closed. Everyone had left, even the father.

"Please God, help my uncle. I don't want him to experience such pain, but I can't do anything else either. Please, ease his pain somehow. Also, give me strength and courage to face the consequences of my decisions." She whispered. Her prayer was interrupted by a cold voice.

"You'll need more then that to face me."

...

* * *

please review.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: They deleted this story and I don't even know why. Anway, I reposted the whole thing again. I'll update it soon as well.

...

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

Tea stood in church, clasping hands in front of her, her eyes closed. Everyone had left, even the father.

"Please God, help my uncle. I don't want him to experience such pain, but I can't do anything else either. Please, ease his pain somehow. Also, give me strength and courage to face the consequences of my decisions." She whispered. Her prayer was interrupted by a cold voice.

"You'll need more then that to face me."

Tea quickly turned around to find Seto standing behind her, his arms crossed.

"Hello Gardner." He said calmly and walked towards her.

"Kaiba. What are you doing here?" She said, trying to hide her nervousness.

"I'm here to get some answers."

"Good. Well, I'll leave you alone then." She said and started walking away, but he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

"I want answers from you." He glared. Tea gulped.

"Why do you want answers from me?" She asked, feigning surprise.

"Stop acting so innocent. I know the truth." His words caused her eyeballs to pop out.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tea quickly replied, continuing the act.

"You know what I'm talking about. It was _you_. You were the one who took care of me and not that whiny Wheeler. You were the one." He nearly yelled.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Tea said and tried to walk past him, but he stood in her way.

"Stop trying to fool me. I know the truth. I know that your uncle is sick, your parents are missing or is that all a coincidence?"

"It could be." She weakly said.

"Really? Then explain how you and the girl were missing at the same time and for the same duration of time." Seto smirked when she didn't have an answer.

"Ever since Serenity told Yugi and the others about the us dating, I noticed a change in you. You were sad, upset, and depressed about something, and now I know why." He gently said. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she spoke.

"Then why are you here?"

"I want to know why. Why did you do it? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide it?" He asked. He just coulddn't figure out why she would do this.

"I don't have to explain anything to you." She said, trying agian to move past him, but he blocked her again, looking furious.

"Yes you do. You had no right to come into my life like that. You had no right to make me experience emotions I had never felt before. You had no right, but you did all that anyway. So I believe I have the right to get answers. Tell me, why did you hide from me?" He said intensely.

"Because I didn't want you to know who I was. I knew you'd push me away if you knew I was Yugi's little cheerleader." She replied in a small voice, her insecurities reflecting in her eyes.

"Okay. But why hide it in the end? When I was having my bandages removed, why did you run off and send Wheeler in your place?" This was what had confused him the most.

"Because I didn't want to get hurt by you." She screamed and broke down in tears. He was shocked.

"What? I don't understand." He slowly said.

"I knew how much you hated me. And I thought when you'd find out that it was me, you'd be angry with me. You'd insult me and I didn't want that."

"I'd never have done that. You should have known. During the time we spent together, I started liking you. I didn't care who the person was. My feelings wouldn't have changed with the face." He whispered kindly to her.

"I didn't know that. I was afraid that I'd get hurt so I ran away." She looked away in shame.

"Tea, you're a strong person and I say that because I have seen you handle many tough situations without fear. Then why did this scare you so much?" Was he really that intimidating and fearsome?

"I may be strong in mind and body, but I'm very weak when it comes to my heart." She whispered.

"Tea, I wouldn't have hurt you." He said, holding her chin up to meet her crystal blue eyes.

"You wouldn't?" She asked with the innocence of a little child.

"Never. During those two weeks, I got to know you as a person and not as Yugi's little cheerleader." He said and she finally smiled.

"Thanks. It means a lot to me." She said and stepped away from him. Seto grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked her mischievously.

"I'm going to the game shop." She replied calmly, freeing her arm from his grip.

"But we are just getting to know each other." He smirked, stepping closer to her.

"We already know all we need to know." She said and tried to walk past him, but he wasn't done with her just yet.

"You're right." He said and moved forward to capture her rosy lips ion a searing kiss. But she stepped back.

"Kaiba. You have the wrong idea. I don't feel that way about you." She said, looking at the floor. Seto was surprised at her response.

"What are you saying? That didn't seem like the case in the bedroom, or in the bathtub." He said, remembering their little encounters.

"Mistakes. Misunderstandings. Believe whatever you want." She quickly said. This aggravated him to no end. At first she denied her identity and now she was denying her feelings. What was wrong with her? Had she lost her mind?

Nothing was wrong with her, and she hadn't lost her mind either. She was thinking of Serenity. That girl had been talking about Seto 24/7. She was crazy about him.

(Flashback)

_Mai, Serenity and Tea sat in Tea's living room. Serenity had told Mai about her and Seto's "relationship". Mai had come over as soon as she could._

_"So Serenity, how does it feel to be the lucky lady?" Mai teased Serenity who blushed._

_"It's nothing really." Serenity replied, but the wide smile on her face said otherwise._

_"Sure, not for you. But I bet there are millions of girls who would die to be in your spot." Mai said._

_"Mai, stop it. You're embarrassing me." Serenity was fire-engine red in the face now. Mai chuckled at the young girl's embarassment._

_"Serenity and Kaiba. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Tea?" Mai asked Tea, who was startled by the question._

_"Umm, yeah. I guess." She mumbled. Mai gave her an odd look but then shrugged and turned back to Serenity._

_"So Serenity, is kaiba a good kisser?"Mai teased and Tea's heart seemed to stop. Had he kissed her?_

_"I don't know. We haven't kissed yet." Serenity slowly answered and Mai seemed surprised._

_"What? How many dates have you been on?"_

_"One."_

_"That's odd. Kaiba should ask you on more dates and send you presents if he is serious." Mai said thinking._

_"Mai, he is a busy man." Tea said, not knowing why she was defending him._

_"Yeah. But he asked her out. He should commit to it." Mai said._

_"I don't care. I love him." Serenity said, shocking both Tea and Mai. _

_"Hun, that is a big confession." Mai said cautiously. "You have barely begun dating. You don't even know him well enough to trust him, let alone declare your love for him."_

_"I know how I feel." Serenity seemed sure of her feelings. "I've never felt this way before. Every time I see him, my hearts flips. It's only been a few days, but I feel like I can't live without him. Sometimes, I feel like I wouldn't be able to go on without him. I think about him all the time. I love him so much." Serenity's words rang in Tea's head. She was very serious about Seto._

_"But sometimes, I think he doesn't feel the same way." Serenity said sadly. "He doesn't call me or talk to me, or want to se me. If I go to see him, he says he's busy. He doesn't smile at me or shows signs of affection. He behaves around me like he behaves with everyone else. I don't know what that means. I mean, I know he likes me. That's why he asked me out, right?" She looked at her friends for confirmation and support._

_"Of course he must like you." Mai quickly said. "Like you said, that's why he asked you out in the first place. But Kaiba is a busy man. He must be too involved in something else."_

_"You're right." Serenity said, thinking deeply. "He is very busy. I have seen him work so hard, and he seems so stressed, as if he's trying to solve a problem."_

_"Well there you go. He is just very busy to be a romantic boyfriend at this moment." Mai said with a smile._

_"But he seems to find time for Mokuba. It's just me who has to take the back seat to everything else in his life." Serenity said with tears in her eyes. Mai hugged the girl._

_"Calm down Serenity. It'll be fine. Kaiba's probably taking his time. It's his first relationship too and maybe he doesn't know how to deal with it. It'll get better with time." Mai assured her._

_"I really do love him. I can't imagine being without him, and I'll do anything to make this relationship work." Serenity said, wiping her tears._

(End flashback)

That night, Tea saw how serious Serenity was about Seto. She would be devastated if she found out he didn't feel the same way. And to find out that he liked Tea over her would kill her inside. No, she couldn't do it to Serenity. She was the one who caused Serenity to be in this position, and now she must pay the price. She would have to deny her feelings for Seto.

"I don't have feelings for you." Tea repeated herself, hoping Seto would believe her. But he was Seto Kaiba. He didn't believe anything unless he could see it with his own eyes.

"You're lying." He said plainly.

"No I'm not. I don't feel the same way about you. Just because I kissed you doesn't mean I have a romantic interest in you." She said.

"Those were no ordinary kisses. I know they meant something to you, so don't think you can fool me. Why are you torturing me like this Tea? I have had several sleepless nights trying to find you, and now that I have, you're telling me that I never had you. What kind of game is this?" He demanded in frustration.

"This is no game. You're imagining things." She said.

"Imagining? Don't insult me." He scoffed. "You have feelings for me. It's obvious."

"I don't."

"Then prove it." His words caught her off guard.

"What do you mean?" She was confused.

"Look into my eyes and say that you don't care about me." He said. He was a businessman and knew from experience that no one could lie to him while staring into his intimidating icy eyes. He had tried that method on duelists and successful businessmen and it never failed. He just hoped it wouldn't fail now.

Tea was having second thoughts about this "proving" concept. She wanted him to believe her and knew he would if she did what he said. But would she be able to look into his eyes and lie? She wasn't a very good liar. But she had to try, for Serenity's sake.

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his and as soon as she did, she was lost in them. She could see the emotions that swirled in them. She could see the stress he had experienced after finding out that Serenity wasn't _her_. She could see the problems he faced in finding her identity. She could see the pain he felt when he found out that someone cared about him but left him, like everyone in his past. And she could see the pain he was feeling now because of her denial.

How could she lie to him? How could cause him more pain? But what about Serenity? No matter what she did, she would end up hurting someone.

"I…" She began. His eyes begged her to tell the truth.

"I… I…" She tried but it seemed impossible. Words refused to come out of her mouth.

"Go on." He encouraged, his eyes boring holes into hers. "Tell me you don't care about me. Tell me that you never did. Tell me that our kisses were mistakes."

"I… I can't do this." She said in a shaking voice and turned away from him. He smiled truimphantly and moved to stand in front of her.

"I knew it. Now it's my turn." He said. Before Tea had a chance to think, he pressed his lips against her soft ones in a gentle kiss.

Tea's mind went blank as soon as their lips touched. All worries of Serenity disappeared and all she knew was how much she had missed this. She kissed him back, and as soon as she did, he unleashed his true passion. His kissed her hungrily, proving to her how much he had missed her. His arm brought her closer to him and crushed his body against hers.

Tea locked her hands in his hair, pulling him closer to her. His tongue brushed against her lip and she parted them to allow him access. Her own tongue got involved along with his, to please him. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, neither one wanting to pull away and end the blissful moment. But lack of oxygen caused their lips to part. Both were breathing hard.

"So, do you still want to deny it?" He asked with a smirk on his face. Tea blushed.

"I can't anymore." She smiled and he pulled her closer to him again.

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses." He whispered. Tea's face fell.

"Seto, we can't do this." She said and he was surprised.

"What do you mean?" Was she playing hard to get?

"We can't do this to Serenity." She said and he understood it immediately. That's why she had denied their love. She was thinking of Serenity.

"What about her? I never liked her. I'll tell her right away that I know the truth. She doesn't have to pretend anymore." He said causally, caressing Tea's cheek.

"No, you can't. You won't tell her anything. I don't want her to get hurt." She immediately said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" He asked.

"We forget about this." She said, looking away.

"Forget about this? Are you insane?" Seto nearly screamed.

"Yes I'm insane." She screamed back. "I was the one who pushed her into this mess Seto. And now, she loves you. She is crazy about you and would do anything if she finds out about us. She would get hurt, and I don't want that. I lost my chance at love but I won't make her lose hers as well."

"What about me?" He demanded. "I don't like her. I want you. What am I supposed to do? Act as if I care about her? Because I won't do it. I will tell her and the rest of the geek squad today." Seto said determinedly. "I have already lost you once and I won't lose you again."

"Seto, please try to understand. They'll blame me if Serenity does anything rash. They'll hate me." Tea revealed her biggest fear.

"I understand." Seto slowly said. He could only imagine Joey's reaction. He would do anything for his sister.

"So let's just forget about this whole thing." She said.

"No." He said plainly. "I can't forget about this. I won't let you go. For you, I won't leave Wheeler, but I won't leave you either." Tea eyes widened at his suggestion. Did he mean a secret relationship?

"But Seto." She began but he silenced her by a passionate kiss that she couldn't resist.

"We both want this." Seto whispered against her lips.

"But what if anyone finds out?" She asked.

"No one will find out." He assured her. "Wheeler isn't the brightest of the bunch. She'll never know and soon will tire of my ignorance and leave. Then we can tell everyone." Seto said and Tea smiled, liking the idea. That way, no one would get hurt.

"Okay." She said smiling. "Well, I better go. The guys will be waiting for me. And I also have to look for a new job."

"Leave? I think not." He said with a smirk. "I just found you, and I'm in a mood for a celebration. Come with me to my mansion. I have a special room where we can celebrate. My bedroom." He whispered the last part and she blushed.

"I have to find a job." She tried to excuse herself.

"Don't worry about it. I already have a job for you. Trust me." He said and they walked out of the church.

Unknown to them, someone else had entered the church during their conversation and had heard everything. When they left, he chuckled and sang in a singsong voice.

"Kaiba and Tea sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Hiding from Serenity. This will make me a lot of money."

...

* * *

please review.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

Tea entered the game shop with the biggest smile possible. The gang stared at her in surprise. Just a day ago, she had been more depressed then ever.

"Hey Tea, you seem in a happy mood." Yugi greeted her.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Joey asked, scratching his head. Tea giggled and jumped on the couch.

"I got a job." She said in an excited voice.

"Wow, so fast. Congratulations Tea." Tristen said.

"Where will you be working?" Duke inquired.

"Kaiba Corp." Tea answered. The guys seemed genuinely shocked.

"You're working for Kaiba?" Yugi asked, not believing what he had just heard.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"He gave you the job?" Serenity asked, her heart beating rapidly.

"Not exactly. Mokuba convinced him to give me the job." Tea said. Serenity's face fell and she looked away.

"What exactly is your job?" Tristen asked in a suspicious tone.

"I am his secretary's assistant. You see, he gives a lot of work to his secretary and she can't handle it. So I'm going to help her with it." Tea explained.

"Kaiba doesn't seem like the person to keep someone who can't handle the work. He seems like the kind of person who'd fire her and get a new one." Duke said thoughtfully. Tristen nodded in agreement.

"Like I said, Mokuba convinced him. He was going to fire her but Mokuba stepped in and saved her job and got me one too. It pays really well and I have to work from 9 to 5 during this school break. When school starts, I guess we'll work out a new schedule." Tea said.

"That's nice Tea. Kaiba isn't so bad. I'm sure you'll have a great time and experience working at Kaiba Corp." yugi smiled assuringly and Tea smiled back.

"When do you start?" Serenity finally spoke again.

"Tomorrow." Tea replied and turned her attention back to Yugi and the guys.

"I have to go." Serenity suddenly said, getting up.

"Where are you going sis?" Joey asked, startled at her abrupt departure.

"I just remembered I have to do something back home. I'll see you guys later." She said and stepped out of the game shop.

Tea had gotten a job at Kaiba Corp. But Seto hated her. Then why did he give her the job so easily? Was there something going on between them? These thoughts ran through Serenity's head as she walked towards Kaiba Corp. Could Tea be doing all this to get Seto's attention? Did she like him? Of course she didn't. Or did she?

Maybe Tea was just jealous of her. Serenity had the hottest and the richest guy in Domino, and so it was natural for other girls to be jeolous of her. But she couldn't believe that her own friend was doing this to her. That was the only explanation that came to Serenity's mind. Tea was trying to steal her Seto away from her. She would have to talk to Seto and warn him. Seto loved her and would definitely listen to her. She'd convince him to fire Tea. That way, Tea's plan to get close to Seto and steal him would definitely fail.

A relieved smile appeared on Serenity's face. She was starting to dislike Tea, and since Seto already hated her, it wouldn't be a problem getting her fired. This was perfect. This way, everyone would be happy, her and Seto. And as for Tea, she could find another job easily.

* * *

Seto sat in his office, very pleased with the door in front of him. That door was to Tea's office, which was between his and his secretary's office. Seto had given his secretary an office a room away because he didn't want anyone bothering him. Besides, the room beside his had an inner door connecting the two rooms. Seto was sure his step-father, or whoever had used the office before him had used the door for more than just coordination, given the hidden location of the door. But now he was liking the idea greatly. The hidden door in the office connected his office to Tea's. That way, he'd be able to see her anytime he wanted. Just as he was admiring his genius, his phone rang. It was his secretary telling him that little Wheeler was here to see him. Normally, he didn't get bothering calls about people wanting to meet him if they didn't have an appointment. But he knew his secretary had informed him because of his association with Joey Wheeler. He instructed his secretary to let her through. He didn't want Serenity creating a scene or telling anyone she was dating him.

"Come in." He said after hearing a small knock. He positioned himself on his leather chair and waited for her to enter. Serenity's head peeked in, muct to his distaste.

"Hi." She said, a nervous smile on her face.

"Why are you here?" He said in a cold voice.

"I wanted to talk to you." She said, closing the door behind her and walking towards his desk.

"Hurry up. I don't have all day to listen to you. I'm busy."

"You gave Tea a job at Kaiba corp.?" She questioned, even though she already knew he answer. His eyebrows rose at her question.

"Yes." He replied, his mind trying to figure out why she was asking that. Tea must have told her friends and that's why Serenity knew as well. But then why ask him?

"Why?"

"You don't seem too happy with it. Why is that?" Seto countered with a question of his own. Her face went pale for a moment. She wasn't prepared for this. She thought he would be angry at Tea and would readily agree to fire her.

"I… I… I am happy. But are you happy that she works here?"

'Of course I am. I have been waiting for this day for so long.' He thought as his heart flipped at the mere thought, but he kept a straight face.

"Why does it matter to you?" He asked another question, instead of answering her, yet again. Silence filled the room for a while, before she spoke.

"Why did you give her the job?" He knew she was avoiding answering him just as he was avoiding her questions.

"Mokuba convinced me." Seto answered causally. That's what he had told Tea and Mokuba to tell the rest of the gang.

"If you don't want her here, you can fire her. I'll take care of Joey and the others." Serenity offered. Seto rolled his eyes. He understood her. She was feeling threatened by Tea being close to him. How pathetic.

"No. I think I'll keep her." He smirked at her shocked and hurt face and continued. "She has good qualifications and would be of help."

Her face fell at his response. It was obvious he wasn't going to fire her. So what should she do? An idea sprang in her head.

"I want to work here too." Her words didn't surprise him much. He knew she had been unprepared for his response, and was now desperately trying to do something about her insecurities.

"And what can you do here?" He asked. She stuttered in response. She had never worked anywhere before and had no idea what to do or how to answer.

"I… I can… I…" She pondered her brain for anything but nothing came. His cold intimidating gaze didn't make anything easier either.

"You don't have any work experience." He said. "You don't have any job related skills. Hell, you don't even have the guts to talk to someone. What good can you be to Kaiba Corp.?" He finished with a mocking smile. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes at his harsh words. How could he say that to her after all she had done for him?

"Since you're about to breakdown in tears, I'd say we're done our "talk." So if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to." With that, he dismissed her. She slowly walked out of the office.

He treated her like dirt off the street. He was constantly insulting her, mocking her, ignoring her, and hurting her. But still, she didn't want to leave him. Why? Because she couldn't afford to. She had never been popular among her schoolmates and didn't have a lot of friends. That's why when Joey offered her to come and stay with him and his friends, she had readily agreed, already quite happy with the amount of affection showered by Duke and Tristen.

But things hadn't gone as she had imagined. After Battle City, Duke went back to being himself. He flirted with every girl he thought was pretty and that did include Tea, who had grown into a beautiful girl. This had somewhat displeased Serenity, as she once had been the sole recepient of Duke's affections. Tristen, too, had been less persistent in his quest to win her heart. Yugi had never had paid any special attention to her, and it remained the same. Joey, also, had stopped being so watchful and protective of her. Most of the time, he was busy with his friends and didn't notice her at all.

Mai had been in touch with the gang and occasionally talked to Serenity as well. But Serenity felt like she was a nobody again. She missed the overwhelming attention she had received during Battle City. Being with Seto Kaiba, the hottest, most wanted man in Domino made her feel important. The very idea made her feel special about herself. And the reactions of Joey and the other were pleasing as well. Not to mention Mai was calling a lot, and asking about her "love" life with Kaiba. Of course, Serenity made up everything, but still, it felt good. And when she thought about finally going public with their relationship, it brought her such pleasure and joy. She could not even imagine how everyone would be jealous of her and want to be her. No, she could not afford to let her relationship with Kaiba end. She was willing to do anything to stay together with him.

* * *

"Hurry up guys. I don't want to be late." Tea said impatiently to Yugi and the others as they hurried to get their shoes.

"Where are you going?" Serenity asked as she entered the Game shop.

"There is a dance competition at the arcade and I'm participating in it. Didn't Joey tell you?" Tea said. Serenity shook her head.

"Must have slipped my mind." Joey sheepishly replied. Both girls glared at him.

"Let's go. We're ready." Duke said and they all walked outside.

"Aren't you coming Serenity?" Tea asked Serenity who seemed to be in deep thought.

"No, sorry. I have other plans. Good luck though." Serenity said and began walking towards Kaiba mansion. She knew Seto had a day off today. Maybe she could spend some time with him and try to get closer to him.

She entered the mansion and tried to find him. He was standing under the stairs, in the living room, dressed in casual clothes. He seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Hi." She called from behind him. He turned around to see her but then turned away.

"Hurry up Mokuba or we'll be late." He called out. Serenity's heartbeat increased dramatically. Where was he going?

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked timidly. Without turning, he replied.

"Of course. What does it look like?"

"Can I know where?" She asked.

"Arcade." He answered as Mokuba's head appeared on top of the stairs.

"Wh… why?" Her heart fluttered as she asked.

"There is some dance competition and Gardner is in it. Mokuba wants to see it and I'm going with him. Why aren't you there?" Seto asked suspiciously.

"I thought… maybe we could… spend some time together." She shyly said. He scoffed.

"You can forget about it. I'm going with Mokuba." Seto coldly replied. By that time, Mokuba joined them. He didn't even spare serenity a glance and turned towards his brother.

"Come on Seto. We're already late." He said, dragging Seto with him out the door. Serenity followed them, not wanting to leave 'her' Seto alone with Tea.

* * *

Tea had creamed every challenger that came to the DDR stage against her. Her amazing talent had gotten the attention of everyone in the arcade. A huge crowd had formed around the stage and everyone had left their games and was watching her.

"Okay, anyone else want to try?" Tea dared the crowd. A girl finally stepped forward. Tea smirked in Seto-like manner and started dancing. All of her friends were in the crowd, cheering her on. Yugi, Joey, Tristen, Duke and Bakura, but where was _he_? She glanced around the crowd one more time and finally caught his blue eyes, watching her with admiration and awe. He was there for her.

Seto had been staring at Tea's dancing form. She was perfect in every way. He noticed the people around him were all gaping at her. Guys were staring at her wide eyes, desire and want in their gazes. This made him jealous but at the same time, he felt proud and happy. They wanted her but they couldn't have her. She already belonged to him and him only.

Tea beat the girl easily as the crowd broke into applause. Tea was about to challenge another person, when the owner of the arcade appeared. He stood on the stage and started to speak.

"I hope you've enjoyed the competition. We had a lot of talented competitors, but in the end, we have our winner. I'm sure you all agree with me when I say that Tea is our undisputed dancing queen." More cheers erupted as he handed Tea a silver trophy with a small glass figure of a ballerina on top. Tea accepted the trophy and held it high in air for everyone to see. It seemed like everyone was cheering for her, except three people; Seto, who was smirking, Serenity, who was frowning, and a man, who watched her with interest from behind tinted glasses.

"Wow tTa, you were awesome." Joey said as she approached them.

"Congratulations." Yugi said with a wide smile.

"I knew you could do it." Tristen said.

"I never doubted you, not even for a second." Duke said as he hugged her gently, which, of course, caused Seto to burn in jealousy.

"Thanks guys." She said. Her eyes met with Seto, who started walking away.

"Guys, I want to use the bathroom. I'll be right back. Okay?" She quickly said, handing her trophy to Yugi and walked towards the bathroom. But instead of going there, she sneaked out of the back door.

As she expected, Seto stood there, leaning against the wall, waiting for her. She walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He held her small waist in his large hands and pulled her towards him.

"So, what did you think?" She asked him. A thoughtful look appeared on his face.

"Hmm, you weren't good." Her face fell, but he continued. "You were great. I'm impressed." She smiled in relief and joy.

"So, where is my gift?" She asked mischievously.

"Gift?" He didn't know he was supposed to bring one.

"Yeah, where is it?" She demanded, enjoying his panicked reaction.

"I… I didn't bring one." He admitted.

"Yes you did." She said and slowly kissed him. When she pulled back, she was grinning.

"That is my gift." She said. A smirk formed on seto's lips.

"If that's what you want, then you're in luck cause I have an endless supply of it." With that, he crushed his lips against hers, kissing her passionately. Their make out session was interrupted by a voice.

"Aww, look at the two love birds. You two really do make a cute couple." Seto and Tea pulled back immediately.

"Who are you?" Seto demanded, tightening his hold on Tea protectively. His eyes scanned the alley for the source of voice, but found that the person was well hidden in shadows.

"Don't you remember me? I at least expected you to remember me Tea. Don't you?" His sinister laugh filled the alley. Tea's eyes widened with realization.

"You're..." She gasped as the person revealed himself from the shadows. "Bandit Keith."

...

* * *

Bet you didn't expect Keith. Any way, what did you think of the chapter? I know it took me really long to update and I apologize for it, but I was very busy.

Please review. Thanks.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

"You're bandit Keith." Tea gasped in shock. What was he doing there?

"Keith? What the hell are you doing here?" Seto took the words out of her mouth. Keith laughed in response.

"I came here looking for money. I never expected to win the lottery." Keith snickered. Seto growled.

"What do you want?" Tea asked, tightening her grip on Seto for support. Keith was a sick individual. She shuddered, recalling the time in Duelist Kingdom when he had heartlessly trapped them in a cave.

"From you? There might be something." Keith eyed her petite form with lustful eyes. Seto growled and stood before her, shielding her form his hungry gaze.

"If you don't want trouble, then I suggest you leave Keith." Seto said through clenched teeth.

"I don't want trouble. No. Trouble is the last thing I want." Keith replied coyly.

"Then why are you bothering us? Leave us alone." Tea spoke from behind Seto.

"See, I can't do that. You're going to be my income source or lottery ticket, say whatever you want." Keith said. Tea was confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked. He laughed at her innocence.

"I know all about your dirty little secret Tea." Keith said in a singsong voice. Tea's face went pale. How could he know? Was he lying?

"What secret?" Seto demanded.

"About you cheating on Wheeler's little sister. What her name? Sanity… ranity…saranity… ah yes, Serenity, was it not?" Keith said. Tea's hands began shaking. Keith knew. He wasn't lying. He _knew_.

"Stop talking nonsense." Seto quickly denied, but Keith knew better.

"Don't think I am some stupid moron like Joey. I know you are dating her but are cheating on her with Tea, her best friend." His words made Tea feel ashamed and guilty. Keith noticed her reaction and continued.

"How ironic. I thought you were a good girl, one who would never hurt her friends. But here you are, stabbing your friend in her back, kissing her boyfriend when she is just a few feet away. Tsk, Tsk. I didn't expect that from you." Keith mocked, enjoying the guilt and pain he was causing.

"That's not true. I… I…" Tea began in a shaking voice. She wanted to defend herself against his accusation. But try as she might, she could not find words to justify her actions. He was telling the truth.

"Don't listen to him Tea." Seto whispered calmly to her, already knowing what havoc the Keith's words must be wreaking on her mind. He must get her away from him and fast. He turned back to Keith.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Seto demanded.

"Nothing… as of yet." Keith replied very casually. "But that doesn't mean I won't do anything later." He was clearly enjoying this. Playing mind games was always so much fun.

"What… what can you do?" Tea asked, fearing the worst.

"Well Tea, think of what will happen if Serenity found out about this. How will she take this news of betrayal… from her boyfriend and her best friend? How will she react? Maybe she'll cry for a couple of days… maybe she'll hurt you or worst, she'll hurt herself." Tea could almost imagine his words coming to reality. That could happen if their secret relationship was revealed. Horror reflected on her face as she thought about it more. Seto noticed Tea's colorless face and knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Shut up Keith." Seto growled in a warning tone. But Keith, enjoying the situation, continued.

"And how will Joey react if his little sister is hurt like that by you? How will he look at you, the person who caused his baby sister so much pain? How will he treat you?"

"Keith, I'm warning you." Seto said once again.

"And what about Yugi? He trusts you more then anyone else. What will he think of you then? How will he treat you?" Keith spoke further.

"Please stop." Tea begged as tears began forming in her eyes.

"Their hearts will break, just like their trust in you. They'll never look at you the same way again. They'll never treat you the same way again. They'll never talk to you again. They'll accuse you of treachery, of treason, of betrayal, of mistrust, and of lying." Keith was on a roll.

"Stop." Tea screamed as her body nearly collapsed to the ground. Seto held her firmly, not letting her fall as she sobbed into his chest. A satisfied smirk appeared on Keith's lips.

"All that _can_ happen… _if_ I tell them." He said. Seto glared at him with fiery eyes.

"Name your price." Seto said. He knew what kind of a person Keith was, and knew money would shut him up.

"Now we're talking." Keith said happily. "I think I've caused enough damage for today, so I'll leave for now." Keith said. "But not empty handed."

"How much?" Seto asked, taking out his checkbook with one hand, while his other hand held Tea.

"Five grand for now. We can decided the rest later." Keith said causally. Seto clenched his teeth in anger. His $5000 was being wasted on a jerk.

"Here." Seto said, handing him the check. "Now get out of my sight." He yelled. Keith laughed and left. Seto turned back to Tea, who had stopped crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked her in a concerned voice. Keith had spoken of her worst fears. Seto knew Tea was hurting deeply inside.

"Yeah." She said. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. It's that bastard's fault." Seto growled.

"He is blackmailing yo because of me. I'm sorry." Tea said.

"He's blackmailing me but because of _us_. Don't blame yourself." Seto calmly said. He did not want Tea to feel any worse.

"Because of me, you lost five thousand dollars." She said, feeling the guilt overcome her, again.

"That amount is nothing compared to you." He said fondly.

"Thank you Seto." She said appreciatively.

"Now let's get back to the arcade before the geeks go nuts." Seto said, reminding her of their place.

"Oh yeah." Tea said, remembering that she had excused herself to use the bathroom. Seto kissed her briefly one last time before they parted. Tea went in first and Seto went in after a while.

* * *

"Tea, take these files to Mr. Kaiba's office." Said the jealous secretary. Tea had been working at Kaiba Corp. for week now and was the envy of every employee in Kaiba Corp. Seto had been very generous to her ever since she had started. He had never once yelled at her, threatened her, or insulted her in front of anyyone. Also, he had instructed his secretary to give Tea everything that was to be sent to his office. This way, Tea was always coming into his office and being graced by his presence.

"Ok." Tea said indifferently, as if it didn't matter to her. All the other females thrilled at the idea of being in his presence, but Tea pretended as if she didn't care. This was the act she had to put up to keep their feelings secret. Deep inside, she was always hoping for a chance to go into his office.

"And do hurry back this time." The secretary said hotly, in a mocking tone. Tea glared at her and walked towards Seto's office. The nerve of that girl, telling her to hurry back. She never took that long, or maybe she did. Every time she went near him, she lost track of time. His hands and lips always managed to make her stay longer then intended. The jealous and sharp secretary had noticed that and was constantly bothering her about it. Well not this time. She would tell Seto to control today so the stupid secretary won't be able to rub it in her face.

She knocked on his door with a racing heart. Why was it that every time she went near him, her body bubbled with excitement?

"Come in." His sexy voice excited her even more, if that was possible.

"Hi." She smiled at him as she set the files on his large desk. He looked up from his work and smirked at her.

"A "hi"? That's all?" He asked in his deep voice, making her knees go weak.

"Yeah. I've got a lot of work to do, so I have to go." Tea said. He got up and walked towards her.

"I'll just have to change that, won't I?" He whispered in a husky voice, his finger lazily tracing her shoulder and neck. His touch lit her body on fire, and she suppressed a moan.

"Seto… I…" She tried to speak but he claimed her lips with his. All the arguments that had formed in her head flew out the moment his lips touched hers.

She moaned as his tongue darted in her mouth, caressing her insides. Her hands reached up and locked themselves in his brown locks, pulling at them gently, urging him to continue. Her own tongue played with his, much to his pleasure.

Seto growled in his throat in pleasure as he left her lips and sucked on her neck. He picked her small form up and placed her on his large desk. Then he continued his ministrations on her milky skin. Tea tilted her neck to a side, giving him more skin to nip and kiss. With her shaking hands, she opened his shirt buttons, desperately in need of feeling his skin. She sighed when the small buttons opened, and immediately slipped her hands on his chest. At the same time, her lips found his earlobe and sucked on it.

The moment her tongue touched his earlobe, Seto growled like an animal and attacked her lips again with such ferocity that Tea almost fell back in the desk. While his lips ravaged her lips, his hands lifted her shirt to reveal her well-toned stomach. Seto slipped one hand under her shirt and caressed the soft flesh. His other hand massaged her inner thigh, which had been revealed by her hunched up skirt.

Suddenly the door sprang open and in came…

...

* * *

Guess who?

You will know...

... If you review.

So please...

...REVIEW.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long delay in the update. My computer screwed up. I had to reprogram/reinstall the whole shit, and that took some time. I'm just happy I saved all my stories on a drive before the crap. Now I saved it back on the computer. Anyway, this is the long awaited chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

"I think I should stop paying for porn. This is way better." Keith's snickering voice caused the lovers to spring apart abruptly. Tea's face became red with embarrassment while Seto growled at being interrupted.

"What the hell are you doing here, without permission?" Seto said, trying to keep his voice calm. How did he manage to come to his office without an appointment or warning? His secretary should have informed him of the arrival.

"I got bored so I came here looking for entertainment. Glad to say, I found it." Keith said. His hungry eyes trailed over Tea's revealed skin. Seto noticed his lustful gaze and removed his hands from under her shirt and from her thigh. Tea straightened her clothes and hurriedly walked out of the office, the eyes of both males following her every move.

"What is your purpose of coming here Keith?" Seto demanded.

"I need more money."

"What?" Seto yelled? "I gave you $5000 a week ago. Where did that go?"

"I spent it." Keith replied shrugging his shoulders.

"You gambled it." Seto concluded. "How much more do you want?"

"$5000." Keith said with greedy eyes. Seto grumbled and started writing the check.

"Don't look so glum. You earn ten times as much in one day." Keith said, taking the check.

"I work ten times as hard too." Seto sneered.

"I can see that." Keith smirked. "Besides, this amount is nothing compared to the prize you have." He said with a leer.

"Get out." Seto said through clenched teeth.

"Relax man. I'm just saying that she's frickin' hot. I'd do anything to grab her-." Keith would have continued had it not for Seto's punch to his face.

"Don't you even dare to think about Tea you filthy mongrel." Seto growled, his eyes full of fire. Keith wiped some blood that escaped from his mouth and glared at Seto.

"I'd watch myself if I was you Kaiba. Right now, I hold all the cards and if I want, I can ruin your little love story." Keith threatened.

"Get out or I'll call security." Seto said in a warning tone. Keith decided to leave. Seto slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples in frustration. What Keith had said was true. As much as Seto hated to admit it, Keith did have power in this situation, and he was using it to blackmail him. He'd have to do something about that and soon. He could not keep giving his hard earned money to someone as undeserving as Keith.

* * *

The same thoughts occupied Tea's mind. She was dancing in the dance studio, practicing as usual. Her eyes were tightly shut and a look of deep thought was upon her beautiful face. She had learnt about the reason of Keith's visit to Kaiba Corp., and the amount he took.

'It's all because of me. It's my fault that Seto is losing his money.' She thought with guilt. But that wasn't all. Fear of her friends finding the truth was present strongly in her mind. The reason: Mai's visit.

Mai had been thrilled ever since Serenity had told her about her and Seto. So as soon as she found some time from dueling tournaments, she came to Domino. Serenity told her 'everything that had happened'. Mai had wanted to meet Seto after hearing such romantic stories. And then Serenity told Mai about Seto's suddenly 'changed' behavior.

(Flashback)

_"He's seems distracted lately." Serenity whispered to Mai, who was listening intently. "It's like he doesn't love me any more."_

_"From what you told me before, it seemed like he loved you dearly." Mai said. "But then, something caused a change in his behavior. Right?"_

_"Yeah." Serenity vigorously nodded._

_"Maybe it's because you spend a lot of your time with Tristen and Duke and Kaiba is angry with you." Mai suggested. "He must know about their feelings for you, and might be feeling threatened or jealous. And because he is so proud, he doesn't want to admit it, but it's showing in his sour attitude and cold behaviour." Tea, who was listening, felt the urge to speak but remained silent._

_"I thought that too, and so I stopped spending so much time with them. But still, he doesn't even look at me anymore. He never wants to talk when I try. He never wants to meet me anymore. He's always ignoring me, even when I'm in front of him." Serenity said, breaking down in tears. _

_"Really?" Mai seemed surprised and upset. How could he have changed so dramatically? He had really liked Serenity before, hadn't he? _

_"He never let's me touch his stuff or enter his room. I don't know anything about him Mai, except that he's Seto Kaiba. I haven't seen him in a week, or talked to him." Serenity continued to bawl her eyes out. _

_"This is weird. He shouldn't be doing this… unless there's someone else." Mai said suggestively. Tea's heartbeat increased. Mai was curious and would definitely try to find the truth._

_"I think so too. And I think I know who the person is too." Serenity said. Sweat appeared on Tea's forehead. Could Serenity have figured it out already?_

_"Wh… who?" Tea chocked._

_"Mokuba." Serenity said confidently, much to Tea's relief and shock._

_"Mokuba?" Mai was surprised as well._

_"Yes. He hates me. From the very first day I stepped in their house, he has been hostile towards me. He ignores me and often makes fun of me." Serenity said._

_"Mokuba would never do that." Tea defended him._

_"You don't know Tea. I have been in that house with him. I bet he's the one who turned seto away from me. He's the one who told seto to ignore me and hurt me." Serenity said determinedly._

_"Mokuba does have a lot of influence on Kaiba. Kaiba would do anything for Mokuba, even listening to him regarding his personal life." Mai said. "It is very likely that if Mokuba didn't like you and wanted you out of Seto's life, he could easily get Kaiba to agree." So Mai was siding with Serenity._

_"No. Mokuba is a very sweet kid. You're wrong about him." Tea said. She knew Mokuba hadn't been very happy at his brother "dating" Serenity, but she knew he wasn't the type to bad-mouth someone behind their back. _

_"Mokuba may act innocent but he's not. He's the worst kid I know of his age." Serenity said angrily._

_"Mokuba isn't like that. He is very nice and kind. You just don't know him yet." Tea said. She felt compelled to defend him since he was taking the blame for Tea's selfish actions._

_"How can you be so sure Tea?" Mai asked suspiciously._

_"I… I… because I know him better then you guys." Tea said. It wasn't a lie. Among the three of them, Tea had the best relationship with Mokuba._

_"Mokuba likes her more then me." Serenity said with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "He even got her a job at Kaiba Corp. as Seto's personal secretary."_

_"Oh really? No wonder she's so bent in defending him." Mai said with accusing eyes._

_"I'm not Kaiba's personal secretary. I am an assistant to his secretary." She clarified. "And I'm defending him because he is a very sweet kid." Tea said with a frown._

_"Sure. You are going to say that. He even brought Seto to your dance competition." Serenity said spitefully. Mai's eyebrows rose in surprise._

_"Kaiba came to your competition?" Mai asked Tea._

_"And he never told me he was going. He said he had important work to do." Serenity added._

_"Mokuba was the one who wanted to come to the competition. Kaiba came because he didn't want to leave Mokuba alone." Tea quickly said._

_"Mokuba prefers you over me." Serenity said with a jealous sneer. "He'd have loved to have you as Seto's girlfriend instead of me." Tea opened her mouth to argue but nothing came out. She just stared into their accusing eyes and frowning faces._

_"I can't listen to you guys any more." She finally said and left to join Yugi and the others._

(End flashback)

Even though she had left Mai and Serenity, her attention had been focused on them, watching as they continued to talk, whispering to each other. Tea even noticed them staring at her with accusing eyes. She ignored their looks at the moment, but feared the worst to come. And the worst came. Mai promised Serenity that she would not leave Domino until her love life was perfect 'as it was before.' So now, Tea faced guilt from both sides. Serenity's continuous tears and Keith's continuous blackmailing was all because of her.

The song ended along with her practice. The studio fell silent, save the sound of clapping. She quickly opened her eyes and scanned the area for the source of clapping. Could it be Seto? He always surprised her by showing up when she least expected it. But she knew he was busy today. Then who was it?

"I never knew watching ballet could be so… entertaining." The unmistakable voice of Keith came, along with his form.

"What are you doing here?" Tea asked in an apprehensive tone. She did not feel comfortable being alone with him. She did not trust him one bit.

"Nothing, nothing. Just enjoying myself." Keith said. His eyes hungrily took in the sight of her leotard-clad body, lingering over her shapely legs and chest. Tea felt uncomfortable under his gaze and reached for a towel, imitating to wipe the sweat. Even then she could feel his eyes undressing her.

"You are an excellent dancer and your beauty only makes you all the more exotic." Keith complimented.

"Why are you here?" Tea demanded in a stern tone. He snickered.

"You look even hotter when you try to act angry."

"I'm not acting."

"Feisty. I like it." He slowly licked his lips, disgusting and scaring her.

"You already got your money, so leave me alone." She said, trying her hardest not to sound scared and desperate.

"Yeah. I got the money from _Kaiba_, but I never got anything from _you_." Keith said.

"Wh… what?" She was shocked. Keith noticed her fear and stepped towards her. Unconsciously, she stepped back, until her back was pressed against the wall. Keith continued to advance until he was standing a few inches from her.

"When I first saw you in duelist kingdom, I wasn't sure what to feel about you. I disliked you for the fact that you were with Wheeler. But when I saw your courage and feisty attitude, I admired you. But that was a long time ago. You have grown since then." His finger lazily rested on her cheek and traced the path to her neck.

"What do you want with me?" Tea shakily asked, squirming away from his touch.

"Kaiba doesn't realize your true value. He thinks he is buying you with money." Keith whispered.

"No. Seto actually cares about me. I am not going to listen to your lies." She said hotly. She wasn't going to be fooled by his lies. Keith smirked.

"No wonder Kaiba is willing to pay any amount of money for you. You are worth more then he can ever pay." Keith's hand caressed her cheek. Tea had had enough of him already. She slapped his hand away.

"If you are here to bother me, then you have accomplished that. So now leave." She said, walking away from him. He grabbed her arm, refraining her from doing so.

"Leave me." She said, trying to yank her arm from his grasp. He held on tightly, watching her struggle with amusement.

"What do you want from me? Just say it already." She yelled.

"I want a lot from you." He said in a lecherous tone, which made Tea want to throw up. "But a date will do for now."

"What?" She yelled "A date? Have you lost your mind? I am already with someone, in case you forgot."

"Yeah. I know you've been having fun with Kaiba, but let me show you what a real man is like."

Tea wanted to slap him, kick him, punch him, and kill him if she could. How dare he say that? How dare he think she would go out with him after all he did to Seto? Even if she did agree, Seto would be furious if he found out…. That's right. Seto _would_ be furious. He considered Keith his worst enemy as of now, and if she was to go out with him, he would consider it a huge betrayal. He'd be angry and he would obviously yell at her and they would fight. He might even hate her for it.

This was too perfect. Seto might break up with her. She corrected herself there. They weren't going out so he'd go back to being cold and cruel to her. Maybe then, his affection would shift to Serenity. With Serenity happy, Mai would see no need to "help" her, and no one would find out about her and Seto's secret relationship. Then she won't have to worry about her friends finding out either. Keith would no longer have a reason to blackmail Seto.

This really was perfect. Everyone would be happy, Seto because he won't have to give any money to Keith, Serenity because she would get "her" Seto back, Mai because she would have "helped" Serenity and "fixed her love life". Everyone, except her. She'd be miserable without Seto. Would she be able to look at him the same way again? Would she ba able to live on without his presence in her life? Would she be the same again?

"What do you say?" Keith's voice broke her thought stream.

"Ok. I'll go out with you." She said, much to his and her own surprise.

"I know you couldn't resist." Keith boasted. Tea smirked and lazily placed her finger on his chest.

"But you have to promise to be better then Kaiba." Tea said in a childish voice, a pout on her face.

"I _am_ better then him so you don't have to worry about that." Keith confidently said, though he was feeling suspicious of her sudden change in attitude.

"Ok then. I look forward to what you have in store for me." She said in a seductive voice and walked towards her stuff, hips swaying in a sexy way. Keith's mouth went dry and he licked his lips. All the suspicious thought of her agreeing too soon disappeared from his mind at the sight.

"I'll pick you up at 7pm tomorrow." He said.

"No. I don't think I can wait that long. Today at 8pm is what I want." Tea said. Keith smirked. This was too good to be true.

"Ok then. See you in 3 hours." Keith said and walked out of the studio, a triumphant smile on his face.

Tea sighed and slumped on the floor. It wasn't that she was eager to go out with Keith. She had picked today because she had to meet Seto at his mansion at 8pm. She knew if she were late, he would inquire and would eventually find her with Keith. That would be her chance to do something regretful that would make Seto hate her.

She hated to do it to Seto. He cared about her deeply, and she cared about him just as much. But her love was costing him too much already, and would continue to cost him if they stayed together. Also, the fear of her friends finding out and reacting in a negative manner was ever present in her mind. This way, everyone would be happy. Yes, even her. She would learn to adjust to watching Seto kiss another girl. She would have to. Besides, she was living a happy life before Seto became a part of it, and she believed she could continue to live a happy life, even with Seto missing from it.

Wouldn't she?

...

* * *

please review.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

Tea quickly wore the first outfit that came into her hand. It was a navy blue sleeveless shirt that showed one inche of her stomach. With that, she wore a black mini skirt. Putting on a little lip-gloss and doing her hair didn't take much time either, and before she knew it, she was done. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked attractive but not sexy. That's what she wanted.

"Ding dong." The doorbell rang. Her heart started beating like a drum. Was it Keith? Or worst, was it Seto? Only one way to find out.

She ran towards the door and with a bursting heart, opened it. It was Keith, dressed in a white dress shirt and blue pants. Tea started at him for a few seconds, not recognizing him.

"I knew I was hot, but didn't know _you_ liked me that much." His arrogant voice was enough to assure her. The dramatic change of outfit had her fooled only for a few seconds.

"Come in." She said, gesturing him in. She had decided to invite him over for dinner instead of going out in a restaurant. She didn't trust him one bit and didn't want to go out with him. At least in her own home, she felt secure.

He stepped in and shamelessly stared at her body. Tea felt uncomfortable under his gaze. It held a glazed, distant look, which worried her.

"You look pretty sexy too, and I specially like this." His fingers touched her revealed stomach. Tea squirmed out of his reach and tried hard not to shudder.

"I already have dinner ready. I thought we could stay here, at my place." Tea said with a coy smile and guided him towards the dinning room, where a table for two had been set. Keith whistled at the set up and the food.

"I like the food. But what do you have planned for desert?" He asked seductively. Once again, Tea tried not to puke in disgust.

"I thought you might bringing it." She replied hotly. He smirked.

"I was. But then I realized that nothing could be better than what you already have. Besides, I have waited enough and I finally want a taste of it." He licked his lips, his eyes focused on her chest. Tea quickly turned away from him and sat on the chair. He followed and seated opposite her. They ate in silence, Keith commenting on her body once in a while. Tea kept her mouth shut and only forced some smiles.

Once the dinner was finished, she started gathering the dishes. When she came to pick up his plate, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his lap.

"It's time for deserts." He said, inching closer to her lips. Tea swiftly got up, knocking over some plates in the process.

"I am waiting for it too. But let me finish cleaning first. And besides, I know a much better place." She winked and walked away.

"I don't feel like walking all the way to your bedroom. So I'll wait in the living room." Keith causally said and walked out of the room, leaving a very shocked Tea.

She didn't mean that. What exactly did Keith have in mind? This little plan of hers was spinning out of control, and she was feeling extremely worried. Maybe she should call Seto. Yes. She would call him and tell him to come, before Keith ended up raping her. She went for the phone and dialed his number, but as soon as the first bell rang, she cut it.

She couldn't do that either. What would she tell Seto if he asked her why was Keith in her house in the first place? No. She couldn't tell him. She would have to handle this situation on her own. She would have to be brave and not let Keith do much damage, since she couldn't _entirely_ prevent the damage.

She walked into the living room with two bowls of ice cream in her hand. Keith was leisurely seated on the couch, flipping through come TV channels. He glanced up at her and was confused at the ice cream.

"Here's the dessert." Tea said, handing him one bowl. He raised an eyebrow in amusement and placed it aside.

"Why did you bring this?" He asked.

"You said you wanted dessert so I brought ice cream. This is the best dessert ever." She said innocently, like an airhead. He laughed at her "innocence" and moved closer to her.

"Your naivete makes you sexier and even more attractive." His thumb traced her bottom lip in a sensual manner. If it was Seto doing this to her, she would have kissed him breathless. But this was Keith who was doing it, and she felt nausea rise.

Much to her horror, Keith started inching closer to her lips. This time, she couldn't think of a way to get out of the messy situation. In her heart, she prayed that something would happen to get her out of this mess. Her prayers were heard and footsteps were heard outside. She abruptly pulled away from him and stared at the door. Who was outside?

"It's probably just a cat." Keith said, diverting her attention towards him again. But Tea wasn't satisfied. Her curiosity kept her eyes fixed at the window, hoping to see who had unintentionally saved her. And then she saw it… or better, him. Seto kaiba stared, no, _glared_ at her and Keith from the window. How did he get there? Why was he there? What was he thinking?

Before Keith could see him, Tea pressed her lips against Keith's, carefully watching Seto's reaction from the corner of her eyes. Seto's eyes widened in horror and surprise at what he saw. But soon, his expression turned to hatred and betrayal. Without sparing them a second glance, he marched away from there. As soon as his face disappeared from the window, Tea pulled away from Keith.

"This is the dessert I want." Keith said and moved in to kiss her again. Tea pulled back, but he grabbed her head and pulled her forward. Tea's kiss gave him the impression that she was attracted to him. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. His other hand slipped under her shirt, feeling her soft skin. She gasped at his boldness and tried to slap him, but he trapped her hands between heir bodies when he pushed her down on the couch and got on top of her.

She opened her mouth to scream but Keith's tongue darted in her mouth, much to her disgust. Tears streamed down her face at her helplessness. Now she knew for sure this was a bad plan. But what could she do now? She desperately tried again to push Keith off her, but he was too strong. His hands stroked her revealed skin; casing shivers of fear run through her body. Only a miracle could save her now.

And the miracle came in form of Seto.

After watching her kiss Keith, Seto was furious. He couldn't believe his eyes. How could she have done that? What was she thinking? Then it hit him. She was thinking. She must have cooked up some crazy plan to get him away from her. What she did wrong was involving Keith in her plan.

Keith, who already harbored feelings of desire for her. Keith lusted for her, and God knows what he was doing to her now. As soon as that thought came in Seto's head, he ran back towards the house. He peeked through threw window and saw them kissing again, but he could see Tea trying to push Keith away. He ran towards the door, but it was locked. He quickly checked his pocked for a master key. Seto had designed and created it himself. It contained a computer chip that scanned the keyhole and morphed the key for the lock out of a soft and mellable material. He used it and opened the door.

By that time, Keith was on top of Tea and tears were rolling down her closed eyes. Rage consumed Seto and he punched Keith off her. Tea's eyes snapped open and she stared at him in shock. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to return. Keith was equally surprised. Before he could open his filthy mouth to say a word, Seto kicked his chin. Blood spurted from his mouth as he yelped in pain. Seto didn't give him a chance to recover and kicked him in the ribs again. Keith groaned and grabbed his stomach to shield himself from any further pain.

Tea watched as Seto mercilessly beat Keith. She knew he was furious at her as well, but was taking out all of his anger on Keith. A part of her wanted him to continue so he wouldn't be so mad at her. But a part of her knew that Keith didn't deserve all of this. Yes, even after all he did to her; she still wanted to forgive him because she was the one who was leading him on. So when Seto raised his arm to hit again, she held on to it, stopping him.

Seto sharply glared at Tea for stopping him. Why was she stopping him?

"Seto, please stop. You'll kill him." She begged. Keith seized the opportunity and ran out of the room. Seto watched him escape, then yanked his arm from Tea's grip and turned away from her. Soon, he heard sobs coming from behind him. Knowing it was her, he slowly turned towards her and found her collapsed on the floor, sobbing hysterically.

She had almost been raped and now he turned away from her.

Seto slowly kneeled beside her and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. She peeked at him from her puffy red eyes and then threw herself at him, crying. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry Seto. I'm so sorry." She whispered in a shaking voice. He didn't reply, just rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

"I only wanted to help." She cried again.

They held each other for a while, until Tea calmed down a bit. Then Seto walked her towards the couch and sat down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want any of this to happen." She started again.

"I know." He said.

"I thought… I wanted… but I never… Seto you have to believe me." She said and he placed a finger upon her lips, silencing her.

"I know, and I believe you. When I first saw you kiss him, I was shocked and furious. But then I realized what your true intentions might be. So I came back." Seto explained.

"Tea, I want you and nothing you do is going to change that. So I would appreciate if you don't do anything stupid like this again." He said seriously. She smiled at him and kissed him.

"How did you come here right on time Seto?" Tea asked.

"I have a sexth sense about you." He smiled and she giggled.

"Honestly Seto, tell me the truth." She said.

"I got your call, but after the first bell, you hung up. I was suspicious and worried so I quickly got here. Lucky for you, I got here in time, both times." Seto explained. She smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you Seto." Tea said, closing her eyes in content. Seto smiled fondly at her content face.

"Promise me you'd never do something so stupid like this ever again. I fear I'll lose you someday like this." He said.

"I promise I'll never do it again." She assured him and he kissed the top of her head.

"Okay." Seto said. Silence filled the air after that.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, watching his face.

"I'm thinking about what is going to happen now." He said and she realized what he meant. Fear crept in her heart. Seto noticed her pale face and kissed her.

"No matter what happens, I'll stand by you. I won't leave you"." Seto said. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

...

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The story is dangerously close to the end, so please review.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: This is the last chapter. I didn't know how to end this. I mean I had a lot of ideas, but I didn't know which one to pick. That's why it took so long to update. Anyway, here it is. It's no masterpiece, but it's a try. Of course I'll accept any constructive criticisms from all of you who think this chapter needs to be improved or changed completely. And if you have any suggestions, state them as well.

I'm not just writing this for no reason. I feel that this chapter might not come up to your expectations. So I'm willing to accept any suggestions. I do read all the reviews and try to make my stories better. I added another chapter to my story "Only You" because a lot of people felt the end was too rushed. What can I say, I suck at endings. So let me know what you think. Ok. Enjoy the chapter.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

"talk"

'thoughts'

_flashback_

* * *

...

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Seto said in a concerned tone to Tea, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm feeling the same, but I have to go." She sighed and snuggled into his chest.

They were sitting in his living room, her in his lap. It had been two days since that incident with Keith. Those two days had been hell for Tea. She was very jumpy, expecting Keith to come out and grab her anytime. And if that wasn't enough, her fears of her friends finding out had skyrocketed. Seto had been there with her all the time, assuring her that nothing bad would happen, and if it did, he would be there to support her. His words were what kept her from going insane.

But today, she had just received a call from Yugi, inviting her over to the game shop, and her fears had risen again. She was afraid to face them, expecting Keith to have told them the truth already. But Yugi's tone was calm, and she believed that it was a good omen, but Seto's heart was beating madly, informing of upcoming trouble.

"I guess I better go." She said, getting out of his lap. He reluctantly let her go.

"Take your cell phone with you and if anything happens, call me." He advised, kissing her briefly. She giggled at his protective behavior.

"Stop acting like a mother hen. I'll be fine." She said and walked out of the house, praying that she was right.

* * *

A deathly silence greeted her when she entered the game shop. She glanced around and found everyone seated. Yugi, Joey, Tristen, Duke, and Bakura. No sign of Keith or Serenity. She breathed in relief. So he wasn't there.

"Hi guys. Why so quiet?" She asked cheerfully.

"We just found out that someone among us is a traitor." Duke replied hotly. Tea's heart stopped at his words.

"What …do you… mean?" She hesitantly asked them.

"Where were you right now?" Joey asked her.

"I was… I was at my house." She lied.

"LIAR." A shrill sound came from her left, startling her. And soon, the face of the person appeared as well, a tear-streaked face of Serenity.

"Serenity." Tea managed to say. So she _was_ here, just hiding in a corner… and crying.

"I hate you." Serenity screamed gain. "You bitch. How could you do this to me?" She was crying hysterically. Tea also spotted Mai sitting beside Serenity, holding her.

"Serenity, I…" Tea began, but didn't know what to say.

"We had an unexpected visitor today. He told us you have met him a lot in the past few weeks." Joey spoke again.

"Bandit keith dropped in today." Yugi said in a sad voice.

"He… did?" Tea stuttered. Oh God. It was happening. Her worst fears were coming true. They knew the truth. He had told them. They _knew_.

"Yes. And he told us some very interesting things." Tristen said through gritted teeth.

"He said you were secretly dating Kaiba behind Serenity's and our backs." Duke said. Tea's face went pale.

"Of course we refused to believe him…." Bakura said hesitantly. He wanted to speak more but seemed to be having trouble.

"But he showed us proof. Want to take a look?" Joey spat and threw some pictures at her. "Here. Look."

With shaking hands, she held the pictures and nearly fainted at what she saw. There were pictures of her kissing Seto in the church, in the alley and on a lot of other occasions. How did Keith get those pictures? Could it be that he had a hidden camera that he used, unknown to their knowledge?

"Care to explain?" Mai asked in a mocking tone.

"This… I…" Tea was speechless. She knew that no matter what she said, they wouldn't believe her. And what could she say anyway? They had seen the pictures.

"_I_ will tell you the truth." Serenity spoke, her eyes glaring at Tea. "She was jealous because Seto loved me. And so she tricked him and seduced him. That's what she did."

"No. That's not true." Tea quickly said in her defense.

"Then how do you explain all this?" Joey screamed, causing Tea to step back in fear.

"Admit it Tea." Serenity spat venomously. "Admit it that you stabbed me in the back. You lied and fooled all of us. You are a horrible and disgusting person." Tea could not find any words to say. She just stared at their angry faces.

"I can't believe you did this Tea." Yugi's sad voice came. Tea glanced in his direction and saw the disappointment in his eyes.

"I didn't. I-." She began but Duke interrupted her.

"You whored yourself to Kaiba." Mai spoke knowingly. Tea was horrified at her words.

"How could you say that?" She asked in shock.

"How could you seduce him like that?" She spat back. "Or are you going to say that it's not true? That the pictures are fake." She challenged her.

"I never once thought you would stoop so low." Joey said. Along with hatred, Tea sensed disappointment in his voice. She wanted to speak but they wouldn't give her a chance to say a word.

"She must have done some pretty low things to get that job." Tristen said to Duke who nodded.

"Probably stripped." Duke commented.

"I think she slept with him. The way he acted towards her, I'd say she screwed him every night." Serenity spoke again. Tears fell from Tea's eyes at the harshness of their words.

"Stop crying Tea." Bakura said. Although he hadn't said much, Tea felt that he too, hated her. Her knees gave up and she collapsed on the floor. No one came to help her, or to comfort her. No one.

"That's not true." She whispered between sobs. "You don't know the truth." Mai laughed.

"And what is the truth? That kaiba loved you all along?" The sarcasm in her words told Tea that even if she did say anything, she wouldn't believe her.

"I always trusted you Tea." Yugi spoke in a low voice. "I never thought you would do such a low thing. You disgraced yourself in our eyes." Tea's heart wrenched at the pain in his voice.

"My sister cried so many times, all because of _you_." Joey accused.

"While you were having "fun" with Kaiba, Serenity was all alone, feeling neglected by _her_ boyfriend." Mai said. "Weren't you ashamed when you whored yourself to kaiba?" She asked.

"Didn't you once think about Serenity when you selfishly seduced him?" Joey yelled in anger.

"I won't let you take Seto away form me." Serenity spoke determinedly. "He loves me and he'll always love me."

They continued to hurl nasty words and accusations at her, but she could no longer hear them. Her mind was buzzing with their words.

Whore

Bitch

Seduced kaiba

Shameless

Traitor

Stripped for him

Whore

Slept with him

Bitch

These words ripped her heart in tiny pieces and their attitudes acted as salt on her wounds. They didn't give her a chance to tell them the truth. And even if she did tell them, they wouldn't believe her. This was what she had feared, being accused falsely. She felt alone and scared. She felt weak and vulnerable. Her body shook uncontrollably with sobs. There was no one who listened to her, no one who believed her, no one who wanted to help her, to comfort her. She was all alone.

"Get the hell out of my sight." Joey's voice shook her out of her painful trance and she raised her head. She gazed into their eyes, hoping to find some kind of support, some pity from anyone. But all she found was hatred and disgust. They despised her for falling in love. They despised her for doing what her heart believed to be right. They despised her.

Not having the courage to face them all, she stood up and began running out of the house. But bumped into someone along the way.

"Tea?" The person spoke her name with such concern that she broke into tears once again.

"Tea, what happened?" He spoke again. Now she recognized the voice. It was Seto.

"Seto?" She looked up, not believing her ears.

"I'm here Tea. What happened?" He assured her and asked.

"Oh Seto." Was all she said, before collapsing into his chest. He wrapped an arm around her petite body and glared at the people in the game shop.

"What the hell happened? What did you do to her?" He growled.

"Are you going to defend your bitch kaiba?" Joey asked nastily.

"Shut up mutt. If you say one more word about her, I swear I'll cut your tongue." Seto said in a dangerous voice, shutting Joey up.

"Seto, how could you do this to me? I thought you loved me." Serenity broke into tears. Seto glared at her and spoke coldly.

"You thought wrong. I never loved you." He said, causing her to cry even more.

"What are you saying Kaiba? You asked her out. You showered her with affection and gifts before Tea seduced you. Now you're saying it was all a lie." Mai spoke.

"Tell me what did you do to Tea." Seto demanded in an icy tone.

"Look at these." Bakura handed the pictures to Kaiba, whose eyes widened in shock.

"Keith gave these to you?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Bakura nodded, surprised at how Kaiba knew. Seto clenched his teeth. "That bastard is going to pay."

"Why did you do this to my sister Kaiba?" Joey asked as he glanced at his crying sister.

"I didn't do anything. And she's lucky I didn't. I should have gotten rid of her the very first day I found out." Seto spat.

"What do you mean? What did you find out? Stop taking in riddles." Mai huffed.

"Little wheeler has been lying to you all." Seto said. "She wasn't the one who cared for me." Surprised looks and gasps filled the room.

"You're lying." Mai said.

"No, I am not lying Valentine. It was Tea." Seto said.

"How is that possible? She said…" Yugi began speaking but realized soon. "So the kid she was babysitting was… you." He said in disbelief. Seto nodded.

"Yeah. It was her. She was the one who dared to challenge me, and to order me around in my own house. But she never told me her name or anything about her identity, because she knew I would push her away. Though my eyes were closed, my heart opened for the first time. So when I was to get my bandages off, I asked Mokuba to bring her so I could see her face and know who she was." Seto paused there and wiped Tea's tears away from her cheeks with love in his eyes. She faintly smiled at him and he began again.

"But Tea was afraid of rejection, because she had developed feelings for me. So she convinced your sister to meet me, hoping that I would let her go without many insults." Seto said to Joey, who seemed shocked at what he was hearing.

"When I took the bandages off, I was shocked to see Wheeler. I never thought she had the guts to even speak, let alone stand up to me and boss me around. And the way she acted when I talked to her was pathetic, proving she wasn't the real girl. Right then, I wanted to humiliate her for trying to fool me, but I didn't. I figured the real girl was close to Wheeler since she trusted her this much. For the next few days, I tirelessly searched for the identity of the girl in the shadows. And I have to thank you all for solving the mystery for me."

"What did we do?" Yugi asked, having a hard time taking all the new information in.

"You told me about Tea's uncle and her habit of volunteering at church. Tea had told me all that when I was temporarily blinded. After finding out and putting the pieces of the puzzle together, I ran to the church and confronted Tea. She, however, refused to accept her feelings, because she didn't want to hurt Wheeler." Everyone was shocked when Seto said that.

"Even when Tea knew she could be with me, she refused because she didn't want to hurt Wheeler." Seto said, staring fondly at Tea.

"But I didn't want to let Tea go. So I proposed a secret relationship. Tea was reluctant because she knew one day you would find out and there would be trouble. But I couldn't bear to be away from her, so I managed to convince her. I wanted to dump Wheeler right there, but Tea didn't want her to get hurt. So I decided to ignore Wheeler, hoping she would get a clue and leave with dignity. But she stuck to me like a leach, thinking I loved her." Seto mocked.

"So that's why you never called her." Mai said in realization.

"Yes. I even hired Tea at Kaiba Corp. so we could spend more time together. We were perfectly happy, but then Keith found out. He blackmailed me to get money. I gave him all the money he wanted, but that bastard wanted Tea as well. He tried to rape her and so I beat him. That's when he decided to get revenge and told you guys." Seto finished, his hands curling into fists.

"No wonder he was beat up when he came here." Tristen said.

"He said he had an accident." Yugi said.

"Hn." Seto scoffed. "That bastard had it coming. And now I'll dispose of him for good."

"So basically, Serenity lied to us all." Mai concluded.

"Why Serenity?" Joey asked her, who started crying even loudly.

"I… fell... in love… with him. … I... loved him. I… love him." She managed to say.

"So you made up all the lies and tricked us into believing all the shit about Tea." Duke said.

"You're more pathetic then I imagined." Seto said with disgust.

"Please Seto, I love you. I'll do anything you say, please don't do this to me." Serenity begged him. Seto turned his head away.

"This is all your fault." Serenity screamed at Tea. "You did this to me. I hate you."

"Shut up Serenity." Joey said. "You've already said enough."

"She's right Joey." Tea finally spoke, shocking everyone. "It is my fault. I was the one who got her involved into this. And I'm sorry for that." Tea said.

"We're sorry too… for saying all that we did." Tristen said sheepishly, feeling shame burn his face.

"It's okay guys." Tea smiled at them, forgiving them instantly.

"So why did you come here Kaiba?" Bakura asked. A grim expression appeared on Seto's face as he spoke.

"I came her to give some sad news. Tea, your uncle… has passed away."

* * *

The gang, along with Tea, Mokuba and Seto stood in the graveyard, looking over the grave of her uncle. Serenity wasn't there, since she was still angry at Tea for stealing Seto. Joey apologized for her behavior, but Tea said it was okay. She knew it would take some time for Serenity to accept it.

Slowly, they started to pay their respects and leave. In the end, only Seto, Mokuba and Tea stood.

"Go wait in the car Mokuba." Seto told his brother, who nodded and walked away. Seto turned to Tea.

"You okay?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"I guess. It's just that… I feel so alone now." She admitted. Her only living relative was now dead. He wrapped his arm around her, hugging her. He knew how she felt. He too, had experienced the same feelings of lonliness.

"You're not alone Tea. I'm here with you." He assured her. Tea nodded.

"Thanks Seto. Your support means a lot to me."

"Tea, I wanted to ask you something." He said. "Since your legal guardian has passed away, and you're not old enough to live on your own, would you like to come live with me?" Tea was surprised at his request. But she smiled broadly and said.

"Oh Seto, I'd love to." Seto smiled as well.

'I'll never leave you Tea. I'll never let you be alone. I'll give you all the happiness in the world. I promise.' Seto swore to himself as they walked back towards the car. The sun was setting in the horizon, ending the day, but it marked the beginning of a new life for Tea and Seto.

...

THE END

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please review.


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